Japanese study for iPhone

Learn Japanese,
one calm step
at a time.

Kana, kanji, words, grammar and speaking practice in one quiet app. It works offline, needs no account and never nags you.

All kana, the first N5 unit and the widget are free for good. The full app is CHF 39 once, with a 7-day free trial.

The Ippo Home screen: the greeting, the week's stamps, today's step and your path
Fully offline, no account

Lessons, the Japanese voice, translation and the speech check all run on your iPhone. Nothing to sign up for.

Kana and kanji by hand

Trace every character with its stroke order, then write it from memory. Each stroke is checked as you draw.

Review that keeps pace with you

Spaced review brings back what you are about to forget. No streak pressure and no counts of what you owe.

Add & translate your own words

Type a word or a phrase in English or Japanese. It is translated on your iPhone and joins your lists and your review.

Real N5 and N4 lessons

Grammar taught the way a textbook does it, text first, with the words and kanji each lesson needs and a test after every unit.

Home and Lock Screen widget

A kanji, a word or a phrase from any of your lists on your Home Screen and Lock Screen, with a tap straight into the app.

Everything in one place

A complete toolbox, without the noise.

Every part of Ippo is built for steady, focused study. Open it for two minutes or an hour, and it is ready.

One step a day, chosen for you

Home shows the day's one step: the next kana, a short review, the next lesson. Never a number to catch up on.

  • The week's stamps and your streak, gently
  • A review when Ippo has cards for you, a lesson when it does not
  • The word of the day, with its voice
The Home screen with today's step, the week's stamps and the word of the day

Short lessons on one path

Grammar, the words it needs and kanji by family, from the first greeting to N4. Every lesson is text first, with practice at the end.

  • Lessons ordered in units, with a short test after each
  • Verb forms with a map of every conjugation
  • Your own notes inside a lesson
A grammar lesson: Saying what something is, with its particles and a table of endings

Write every character by hand

Trace hiragana, katakana and kanji with the stroke order shown, then from memory. Ippo checks each stroke as you draw it and shows the stroke when you slip.

  • Every kana and 1,000 kanji with stroke order
  • A guide to follow, or none to test yourself
  • Kanji by family, with their readings and words
Writing the kanji 食 by hand, five strokes done and the guide showing the next

Review that keeps pace with you

Spaced review brings back what you are about to forget. Flip the card, type the answer, write the character or say the word.

  • Grade yourself in one tap
  • Kana, kanji and words in one session
  • Furigana and rōmaji on or off
A flashcard in review: こんにちは, what does this mean?

Practice drills on real sentences

Build a sentence from tiles, fill the particle, conjugate the verb, listen and pick, count things, talk casually.

  • Hundreds of everyday sentences by situation
  • Mixed tests with a history
  • Speaking checked on your iPhone, never sent anywhere
The practice drills: build a sentence, fill the particle, conjugate the verb and more

Add any word or phrase

Type a word or a sentence in English or Japanese. Ippo translates it on your iPhone, adds the reading and the rōmaji, and puts it in your lists and your review.

  • Translation on the device, no connection needed
  • Your own lists for a trip, a class or a show
  • Every word and sentence searchable
Add and translate: Where is the aquarium? translated word by word, ready to save

Your profile and a kanji on your Home Screen

See how far you have come, set a quiet daily reminder, and keep a kanji or a word of the day in a widget.

  • Words learned, lessons done, days practised
  • Light and dark, the voice of your choice
  • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets from any list
The profile with the streak, words learned, lessons done and the settings
Pricing

Pay once. Keep it.

No subscription, no ads and no upsells inside the app. Start with the free part, try everything for a week, then decide.

  • No subscriptionOne payment, nothing renews.
  • A real free trialSeven days of everything, with nothing charged and nothing to cancel.
  • Restore any timeReinstall or switch iPhones and restore in Profile.
Ippo Nihongo, full app
CHF 39one-time purchase

Unlocks everything in the app on your iPhone, for good. USD 39.99, EUR 39.99.

Try everything free for 7 days

Free forever

  • All hiragana and katakana, with stroke order and writing
  • The first N5 unit: its lessons, words and phrases
  • Daily review of everything you learn
  • The kanji and word widget

Full app

  • Every lesson from zero to N4, verbs and the grammar maps
  • All N5 and N4 words, kanji families and sentences
  • Practice drills, tests and speaking
  • Add & translate, your own lists and notes
How the trial works. Tap "Try everything free for 7 days" in the app. Apple records it as a free purchase, so nothing is charged and there is nothing to cancel. When the seven days end, Ippo goes back to the free part and keeps all your progress. Unlock any time for CHF 39.

The purchase and the trial are handled by Apple through the App Store. Local prices may vary by region.

FAQ

Good questions.

Is it really a one-time purchase?

Yes. CHF 39 unlocks the full app for good. There is no subscription and nothing renews.

How does the free trial work?

You can try the full app free for 7 days. The trial is a free item in the App Store, so Apple charges nothing and there is nothing to cancel. When it ends, the app returns to the free part and keeps everything you learned. The trial can be used once per Apple Account.

What can I use for free?

All hiragana and katakana with stroke order and writing practice, the first N5 unit with its lessons and words, the daily review of what you learned, and the widget. Free, with no time limit.

What happens to what I learned during the trial?

It stays yours. Every word, kanji and lesson you met keeps its page and stays in your daily review. Only the parts you never opened show a small lock.

Do I need an internet connection?

No. Everything works offline, including the Japanese voice, translation and the speech check, once iOS has the Japanese voice, language and recognition installed on your iPhone.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no sign up. Your progress is stored on your iPhone.

Which devices are supported?

Ippo Nihongo is made for iPhone and needs iOS 17 or later.

Is it right for complete beginners?

Yes. Start with the kana and move at your own pace. Ippo covers the very first characters up to JLPT N4 grammar and words.

Take the first step today.

Start free. No account, no pressure.

Download on theApp Store