“My name is Cormac” is “私の名前はコーマックです” in Japanese (via Google Translate). See? What did I tell you – complicated.
But fear not. If you want to learn the basics of Japanese and be able to just about get away with holding your own in a conversation, then you need to get Dr. Moku’s Hiragana Mnemonics (Website / App Store).
This is one of the best and most fun apps I have used in a long time. The beautiful and simple interface makes it fun to learn how to read, pronounce, and translate Japanese writing into English. The app takes a cognitive approach by using symbols and imagery to match the design of words to sounds – known as mnemonic aids.
“Mnemonics are memory tricks that use humor or a memorable personal connection to help you remember something. A famous example is ‘Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain’ to help remember the colors of the rainbow.”
“Learning Japanese may seem like an impossible task but with Dr. Moku’s revolutionary mnemonic learning system you can automatically and effortlessly master Hiragana.”
Check out this video tutorial, that brings you through the process of learning Japanese. I’m sure you will agree that learning Japanese won’t seem as difficult once you familiarize yourself with the app.
A free and paid version of the App is available for both iPhone and iPad.