Learn Japanese by drawing it
One player gets a Japanese word and draws it. Everyone else races to type that word in chat. Every round ends with the Japanese word, its English meaning, and a picture.
Every Japanese word in the game is listed on this page. Playing is free and you do not need an account — type a name and you are in.
- The full Japanese word list
- 8 topics
- 4 players per quick game
- 80 seconds to draw
- Free, no account
How a round works
One player draws
They get a word in the room's language and draw it. No letters, no numbers.
Everyone else types
Race to type the word in chat. Fast guesses score up to 500 points.
The word is revealed
Every round ends with the word and its English meaning. You learn it.
Every Japanese word in the game
Grouped by topic: the picture you draw, the Japanese word, and what it means in English.
Animals in Japanese
18 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| 犬 | dog | |
| 猫 | cat | |
| 魚 | fish | |
| 鳥 | bird | |
| 蛇 | snake | |
| 馬 | horse | |
| 牛 | cow | |
| 豚 | pig | |
| 羊 | sheep | |
| 熊 | bear | |
| 象 | elephant | |
| ねずみ | mouse | |
| うさぎ | rabbit | |
| カエル | frog | |
| ハチ | bee | |
| 蝶 | butterfly | |
| クモ | spider | |
| カメ | turtle |
Food in Japanese
18 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| りんご | apple | |
| バナナ | banana | |
| チーズ | cheese | |
| パン | bread | |
| 牛乳 | milk | |
| 卵 | egg | |
| ケーキ | cake | |
| ピザ | pizza | |
| にんじん | carrot | |
| コーヒー | coffee | |
| いちご | strawberry | |
| レモン | lemon | |
| 梨 | pear | |
| チョコレート | chocolate | |
| 玉ねぎ | onion | |
| アイスクリーム | ice cream | |
| すいか | watermelon | |
| とうもろこし | corn |
Home in Japanese
20 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| 家 | house | |
| 椅子 | chair | |
| テーブル | table | |
| 本 | book | |
| 鍵 | key | |
| 時計 | clock | |
| ドア | door | |
| 窓 | window | |
| 電話 | phone | |
| ギター | guitar | |
| ボール | ball | |
| ベッド | bed | |
| ランプ | lamp | |
| スプーン | spoon | |
| ナイフ | knife | |
| ろうそく | candle | |
| ほうき | broom | |
| ハンマー | hammer | |
| 鉛筆 | pencil | |
| はさみ | scissors |
Nature in Japanese
18 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| 木 | tree | |
| 太陽 | sun | |
| 月 | moon | |
| 花 | flower | |
| 星 | star | |
| 雲 | cloud | |
| 雨 | rain | |
| 山 | mountain | |
| 川 | river | |
| 海 | sea | |
| 雪 | snow | |
| 火 | fire | |
| 葉っぱ | leaf | |
| 虹 | rainbow | |
| 稲妻 | lightning | |
| きのこ | mushroom | |
| 島 | island | |
| サボテン | cactus |
Body in Japanese
15 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| 手 | hand | |
| 心臓 | heart | |
| 靴 | shoe | |
| 帽子 | hat | |
| 目 | eye | |
| 鼻 | nose | |
| 口 | mouth | |
| 耳 | ear | |
| 足 | foot | |
| 歯 | tooth | |
| 骨 | bone | |
| 靴下 | sock | |
| ワンピース | dress | |
| コート | coat | |
| 眼鏡 | glasses |
Travel in Japanese
14 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| 車 | car | |
| 自転車 | bike | |
| 船 | boat | |
| 飛行機 | airplane | |
| 電車 | train | |
| バス | bus | |
| ロケット | rocket | |
| 橋 | bridge | |
| 地図 | map | |
| スーツケース | suitcase | |
| ヘリコプター | helicopter | |
| コンパス | compass | |
| トラクター | tractor | |
| 錨 | anchor |
Actions in Japanese
12 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| 走る | run | |
| 寝る | sleep | |
| 食べる | eat | |
| 飲む | drink | |
| 泳ぐ | swim | |
| 踊る | dance | |
| 歌う | sing | |
| 泣く | cry | |
| 笑う | laugh | |
| 書く | write | |
| 読む | read | |
| キスする | kiss |
People in Japanese
9 words| Picture | Japanese word | English |
|---|---|---|
| 王様 | king | |
| 赤ちゃん | baby | |
| 医者 | doctor | |
| 料理人 | cook | |
| 先生 | teacher | |
| 消防士 | firefighter | |
| 宇宙飛行士 | astronaut | |
| 歌手 | singer | |
| ピエロ | clown |
Why drawing sticks
You see the picture, the Japanese word and its English meaning in the same few seconds, and you spent the round trying to name the thing while it was being drawn. That is the whole method. There are no lessons and no grammar drills — just words, pictures and other players.
A game is 3 rounds by default and each drawing turn lasts 80 seconds. A word someone missed comes back in a later turn of that room until everyone has solved it. Words you did guess are saved to Practice, a solo 10-word review deck.
Questions about learning Japanese here
Is Sketchlingo free?
Yes. Every language, every word, and quick games with up to 4 players cost nothing. Pro is $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year and adds your own rooms and your own word lists.
Do I need an account?
No. Type a name and play. Signing in is optional — it keeps your level, your saved words and your achievements on any device.
Which Japanese words can I learn?
Every word in the game is listed on this page, with a picture, the Japanese spelling and its English meaning. They sit in 8 topics: animals, food, home, nature, body, travel, actions, people.
Can I play with friends?
Yes. Share the room link and they join in one click. A quick game holds 4 players. A custom room holds 2 to 24 players, runs 1 to 10 rounds, and lets you set 30 to 180 seconds of drawing time. Custom rooms need Pro; everyone you invite plays free.
Which languages can I learn?
Dutch, Spanish, French, German, Italian, English, Georgian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Hindi. Each one uses the same word list, so you can switch language and keep the same vocabulary.