# Learn Japanese with The Secret World of Arrietty

> How hard its Japanese is, real words from it with kana and romaji, where to watch it, and what to watch before and after.

[Anime by Japanese level](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/) › [N4 to N3](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/#n4-to-n3)

**The short answer:** Ikkimi rates **The Secret World of Arrietty** N4 to N3 for learning Japanese: a film, quiet family talk. **Good for a beginner? Yes, as an early show.** It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

Ikkimi lists The Secret World of Arrietty on Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles and every word becomes clickable.

The Ikkimi web app and Chrome extension come on one plan. The iPhone app is coming soon.

## How hard is the Japanese in The Secret World of Arrietty?

Ikkimi rates The Secret World of Arrietty at **N4 to N3** (everyday talk). What sets its level: a film, quiet family talk. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 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.

| Fact | The Secret World of Arrietty |
| --- | --- |
| Ikkimi’s level | N4 to N3 (everyday talk) |
| Why | a film, quiet family talk |
| Japanese title | 借りぐらしのアリエッティ |
| Format | Film |
| Running time | 1 h 34 |
| Released | 2010 |
| Genres | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy |
| Where to watch | [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/search?q=The%20Secret%20World%20of%20Arrietty) |

Format, episodes, year and genres are from [AniList’s entry](https://anilist.co/anime/7711).

## The words in the title

The Japanese title, 借りぐらしのアリエッティ, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

| Word | Kana and romaji | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 借りる N5 | かりる kariru | to borrow Written 借り in the title. |
| 暮らし N3 | くらし kurashi | (way of) life; lifestyle; living Written ぐらし in the title. |

## How to learn Japanese with The Secret World of Arrietty

Ikkimi lists The Secret World of Arrietty on 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 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](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ikkimi-%E2%80%94-learn-japanese/kknpmodmojiodjhbgapdgpabdehpnfcb) and sign in.
2. Play the film: Open The Secret World of Arrietty on 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 1 h 34, so you can split it over a few evenings and rewatch the scenes you liked.

## Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of The Secret World of Arrietty, with the most genres in common first.

### Easier

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Kiki’s Delivery Service](https://ikkimi.app/anime/kikis-delivery-service/)** 魔女の宅急便 | N4 | a film, 1 h 43 | Netflix |
| **[Pokémon](https://ikkimi.app/anime/pokemon/)** ポケットモンスター | N4 | made for children, simple adventure talk | Netflix |
| **[Kemono Friends](https://ikkimi.app/anime/kemono-friends/)** けものフレンズ | N4 | simple cheerful speech, animal facts | Crunchyroll |

### Also N4 to N3

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Spirited Away](https://ikkimi.app/anime/spirited-away/)** 千と千尋の神隠し | N4 to N3 | a film, some old-fashioned speech | Netflix |
| **[The Cat Returns](https://ikkimi.app/anime/the-cat-returns/)** 猫の恩返し | N4 to N3 | a film, school and fairy-tale talk | Netflix |
| **[Digimon Adventure](https://ikkimi.app/anime/digimon-adventure/)** デジモンアドベンチャー | N4 to N3 | children talking, monster names that repeat | Crunchyroll |

### Harder

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[ONE PIECE](https://ikkimi.app/anime/one-piece/)** | N3 | loud and clear, pirate words that repeat | Crunchyroll, Netflix |
| **[Naruto](https://ikkimi.app/anime/naruto/)** NARUTO -ナルト- | N3 | clear voices, ninja words that repeat | Crunchyroll, Netflix |
| **[Howl’s Moving Castle](https://ikkimi.app/anime/howls-moving-castle/)** ハウルの動く城 | N3 | a film, some old-fashioned speech | Netflix |

See [every N4 to N3 anime](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/#n4-to-n3) or all 192 [anime by Japanese level](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/), and read [how to learn Japanese by watching anime](https://ikkimi.app/learn-japanese-with-anime/) from zero.

## Questions

### Is The Secret World of Arrietty good for learning Japanese?

Yes, as an early show. Ikkimi rates it N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: a film, quiet family talk. It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

### What Japanese level is The Secret World of Arrietty?

N4 to N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

### Where can I watch The Secret World of Arrietty with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists The Secret World of Arrietty on Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player where they are offered, and Ikkimi makes every word clickable.

### What does the title 借りぐらしのアリエッティ mean, word by word?

借りる (kariru) means “to borrow”; 暮らし (kurashi) means “(way of) life; lifestyle; living”. Words the title writes in another form are shown here as a dictionary lists them.

### How long is The Secret World of Arrietty?

AniList lists The Secret World of Arrietty as a film of about 1 h 34, released in 2010.

### What should I watch before The Secret World of Arrietty?

Shows a little easier than The Secret World of Arrietty, with genres in common: Kiki’s Delivery Service (N4), Pokémon (N4) and Kemono Friends (N4).

Sources: show details from [AniList](https://anilist.co); 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](https://ikkimi.app/credits/). Spotted a mistake? Tell us at [hello@ikkimi.app](mailto:hello@ikkimi.app).

Tonight’s episode is a lesson.

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Source: https://ikkimi.app/anime/the-secret-world-of-arrietty/ · Updated 2026-10-30 · Contact: hello@ikkimi.app · More: https://ikkimi.app/llms.txt