Setting Up Yomitan For Efficient Japanese Reading Practice
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Reading native Japanese content online is challenging when you don’t know all the kanji.
Yomitan is a browser extension that solves this problem by giving you instant translations when you hover over a word.
If you want the absolute best structured reading practice, I highly recommend using Talk In Japanese as your primary learning platform.
For reading random Japanese websites in the wild, Yomitan is the most efficient tool you can use.
This guide will show you exactly how to install and configure it.
Table of Contents:
Installing the Yomitan extension
Yomitan is a free add-on available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
It’s a newer, community-maintained version of the older Yomichan extension.
You can download it directly from your browser’s extension store or the Yomitan website.
Click the install button to add it to your browser.
Once installed, pin the extension to your browser toolbar so you can access it easily.
Downloading Japanese dictionaries
Yomitan doesn’t come with built-in dictionaries.
You have to download dictionary files separately to make the extension work.
These files are typically shared in a compressed .zip format.
You don’t need to unzip these files after downloading them.
Here are the most highly recommended dictionaries to download for Yomitan.
| Dictionary Name | Description |
|---|---|
| JMdict (English) | The standard Japanese-to-English dictionary used by most learners. |
| JMnedict | A dictionary specifically for translating Japanese names and places. |
| KireiCake | A dictionary that includes internet slang and anime vocabulary. |
| Kanjidic | A kanji dictionary that breaks down individual kanji meanings and stroke orders. |
You can find links to download all of these free dictionary files on the Aquila dictionary hub.
Importing dictionaries into Yomitan
Click the Yomitan icon in your browser toolbar to open the settings page.
Navigate to the “Dictionaries” section on the left sidebar.
Click the button labeled “Import dictionary”.
Select the .zip files you downloaded in the previous step.
Wait a few moments for the tool to process and load the files.
Once the loading bar finishes, your dictionaries are ready to use.
Basic settings for reading practice
You need to enable a scanning key to use the pop-up dictionary.
By default, holding the Shift key while hovering your mouse over a Japanese word will trigger the translation pop-up.
You can change this scanning modifier to the Ctrl or Alt key in the scanning settings menu.
I also recommend turning on audio playback in the audio settings.
This allows you to hear the correct native pronunciation when you click a word.
You can now visit any Japanese website and start reading immediately.
