
Nihongo Go
A free JLPT-oriented Japanese trainer inside Telegram: vocabulary and kanji cards with furigana, grammar patterns, kana speed drills and level quizzes from N5 to N1, with AI explanations on demand.
Key features
- Vocabulary and kanji cards (N5–N1) with furigana and readings
- Grammar-pattern cards with example sentences
- "Kana Speedrun" hiragana/katakana recall drills
- "Explain by AI" button for on-demand breakdowns
- JLPT-style multiple-choice quizzes
- Adjustable card delivery interval (hourly to daily)
Nihongo Go
@nihongo_go_bot delivers Japanese study material as a stream of Telegram messages instead of a separate app. After a roughly 30-second setup where you pick your JLPT level, the bot starts sending vocabulary cards (with readings and example sentences), kanji cards with furigana and definitions for N5 through N1, and grammar-pattern cards with examples — timed to arrive at intervals you can adjust, from hourly to once a day.
Two features stand out. First, a "Kana Speedrun" mode for rapid-fire hiragana/katakana recall, aimed at absolute beginners who haven't automated reading kana yet. Second, an "Explain by AI" button on any card that breaks down why a word, kanji or grammar pattern works the way it does — useful when the card alone doesn't make something click. There's also a conversational tutoring mode for more open-ended, rolling-context practice beyond fixed cards, plus multiple-choice JLPT quizzes to check what actually stuck.
Feedback is built into the review loop: marking a card "Again" or "Easy" adjusts how soon it resurfaces, the same principle behind spaced-repetition apps, just delivered as chat messages rather than a dedicated interface.
The bot is free with no premium tier currently advertised. The trade-off of a message-stream format is that it can feel less structured than a purpose-built app with progress dashboards — there's no visual overview of what you've covered, just the next card in your chat.
How to start
- Open @nihongo_go_bot in Telegram and tap Start
- Pick your JLPT level (about 30 seconds)
- Review the cards as they arrive, marking Again or Easy
- Use Explain by AI or the quiz mode when you want more depth
Pricing and limits
Free
Pros / Cons
- Covers vocabulary, kanji, grammar and kana drills in one bot
- AI explanations on individual cards are a genuinely useful extra
- Free, with adjustable pacing to fit a busy schedule
- No visual progress dashboard — just a stream of chat messages
- Interface language support isn't documented beyond English
- No confirmed premium tier, but also no guarantee features stay free long-term
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functionality | 25 | 8 / 10 | |
| Reliability & speed | 15 | 6 / 10 | |
| Popularity & trust | 15 | 4 / 10 | |
| Price & free tier | 10 | 10 / 10 | |
| Usability | 10 | 7 / 10 | |
| Safety & privacy | 10 | 7 / 10 | |
| Freshness | 5 | 7 / 10 | |
| Localization | 5 | 4 / 10 | |
| No intrusive ads | 5 | 10 / 10 | |
| Score | 100 | 69.0 |
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Can I choose how often the bot sends me cards?
Yes — the delivery interval is adjustable, from about once an hour to once a day.
Is it suitable for absolute beginners who don't know kana yet?
Yes — there's a dedicated beginner kana-first pathway and a Kana Speedrun mode built specifically for that stage.
Technical details
- Inline mode
- Mini App
- Works in groups
- Works in channels
- Accepts voice
- Accepts files
- Requires phone number
- Requires registration
- Shows ads
- Works in Russia without VPN