What to Expect During Reading
When you start reading, you may feel prepared after studying hiragana, katakana, vocabulary, and grammar. However, your first encounter with native material can be overwhelming. This section prepares you for the realities of reading your first native manga, emphasizing the difference between reading and deciphering, the importance of tolerating ambiguity, and how to handle context and grammar challenges.
Deciphering, Not Reading
Your first native material won’t feel like reading—it will feel like deciphering. Reading is when you understand text effortlessly. Deciphering is when you painstakingly look up vocabulary and grammar to piece together meaning. This is normal, and expecting it prevents frustration. It may take multiple volumes before you truly “read” even a single line. Embrace this process as a part of learning.
Tolerating Ambiguity
Learning Japanese involves constant uncertainty, especially early on. You’ll encounter unfamiliar grammar, vocabulary, and language concepts. Trying to understand everything perfectly will slow you down and risk burnout, while ignoring too much will hinder learning. The key is a moderate tolerance for ambiguity—accepting that some things are too complex to grasp immediately but trusting you’ll understand them with future exposure.
Understanding Context and Missing Words
Japanese often omits information that’s clear from context, similar to how English uses pronouns (e.g., “He told me to give it to him when she gets in”). In Japanese dialogue, subjects and objects may be absent, leaving sentences like “Ate—!” (e.g., 食べた！). To understand these, rely on context from surrounding panels, dialogue, or narration.
For example, in a manga panel where an elephant eats an apple, the sentence “Ate—!” becomes clear when you see the elephant (the subject) and the apple (the object) in prior panels. When a sentence feels incomplete, ask:
- Who or what is doing something?
- Are they doing it to something or someone? These questions apply to verb, noun, and adjective sentences, helping you use context to fill in gaps.
Forgetting and Relearning Grammar
You’ll encounter unfamiliar grammar and forget grammar you’ve studied. This is expected. Repeatedly looking up the same grammar in different contexts builds recognition over time. Some grammar clicks quickly, while other points take multiple exposures. Be patient with yourself.