Learn Japanese with Suzume

Anime by Japanese level › N3

How hard is the Japanese in Suzume?

Ikkimi rates Suzume at N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: a film, several regional accents. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 are harder.

Levels follow the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). They are Ikkimi’s estimate of how hard a show’s Japanese is to follow, from how fast people talk, how many unusual words there are and how clear the voices are. They are not official JLPT ratings.

Format, episodes, year and genres are from AniList’s entry.

The words in the title

The Japanese title, すずめの戸締まり, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Suzume

Ikkimi lists Suzume on Crunchyroll and Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. Ikkimi does not stream anything: you watch on your own account, in Chrome on a computer, and Ikkimi adds a Japanese line you can click on top of the player.

On Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles. On a Crunchyroll episode, Ikkimi looks for a matching Japanese subtitle file in Jimaku’s public catalogue, loads it and lines it up with the episode by itself. If Jimaku has no file for an episode, you can search by hand in the Ikkimi popup or load a subtitle file from your computer.

On Netflix

On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player, where your country’s Netflix has them for this title, and Ikkimi makes the line clickable. If there are none, open the Ikkimi popup, choose Find Japanese subtitles, and search Jimaku’s catalogue or load a file from your computer.

1. Add Ikkimi to Chrome

   Get the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in.

2. Play the film

   Open Suzume on Crunchyroll or Netflix. The Japanese line appears on top of the video.

3. Click the words you keep hearing

   The video pauses and the word opens: kana, romaji, meaning, JLPT level and a recording by a native speaker where one exists (never a computer voice; otherwise the line from the show plays again). Keep three to five words an episode, the ones that come up again.

4. Review them later

   Kept words come back as flashcards on the Ikkimi website, with the scene and the line they came from, just before you would forget them.

The film runs about 2 h 01, so you can split it over a few evenings and rewatch the scenes you liked.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Suzume, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N4 to N3Spirited Away千と千尋の神隠しa film, some old-fashioned speechNetflix
• N4 to N3Dragon Ballドラゴンボールsimple adventure talk, shoutingCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3The Secret World of Arrietty借りぐらしのアリエッティa film, quiet family talkNetflix

Also N3

• N3NarutoNARUTO -ナルト-clear voices, ninja words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3The Seven Deadly Sins七つの大罪fantasy titles, clear voicesNetflix
• N3Soul Eaterソウルイーターschool talk, weapon and soul wordsCrunchyrollNetflix

Harder

• N2Mushishi蟲師quiet, old-fashioned and nature wordsCrunchyroll
• N2Demon Slayer鬼滅の刃old-fashioned speech, a lot of shoutingCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2Hell’s Paradise地獄楽period speech, ninja and execution wordsCrunchyrollNetflix

See every N3 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Suzume good for learning Japanese?

With some help. Ikkimi rates it N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: a film, several regional accents. It sits in the middle of Ikkimi’s levels. A beginner can follow it with kana and romaji on every word, but it is easier after one or two simpler shows.

What Japanese level is Suzume?

N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Suzume with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Suzume on Crunchyroll and Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles, so Ikkimi looks for a matching file in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up with the episode. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player where they are offered, and Ikkimi makes every word clickable.

What does the title すずめの戸締まり mean, word by word?

すずめ (suzume) means “tree sparrow (Passer montanus)”; 戸締まり (tojimari) means “locking up (doors and windows); fastening the doors”.

How long is Suzume?

AniList lists Suzume as a film of about 2 h 01, released in 2022.

What should I watch before Suzume?

Shows a little easier than Suzume, with genres in common: Spirited Away (N4 to N3), Dragon Ball (N4 to N3) and The Secret World of Arrietty (N4 to N3).

Sources: show details from AniList; meanings from JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0); readings and word splits from kuromoji.js with IPADIC; JLPT word levels from Jonathan Waller’s unofficial lists. See Credits. Spotted a mistake? Tell us at hello@ikkimi.app.