Yaku: Japanese Dictionary

Yaku is an offline-first Japanese-English and kanji dictionary for JLPT learners, readers, and native speakers. Look up words by kanji, kana, romaji, or English, draw kanji with on-device handwriting recognition, and check pitch accent, conjugations, and stroke order. Free, with no ads, accounts, analytics, or subscriptions. Optional Supporter purchase adds color themes; all study features stay free.

KEY FEATURES

Search & Kanji Lookup

* Offline Japanese-English Dictionary: 200,000+ entries with definitions, furigana readings, romaji, JLPT levels (#n1-#n5), and #common tags.

* Draw Kanji You Can't Read: Write kanji or kana on screen. On-device handwriting recognition identifies 6,500+ characters offline; strokes stay on device.

* Search & Hashtag Filters: Search kanji, kana, romaji, idioms (yojijukugo), and English with de-inflection. Filter by #common, #n1-#n5, #gairaigo, #waseieigo, and #keigo.

* Tap to Search: Tap headwords, readings, kanji tiles, or meanings to search instantly.

* Search in Yaku: Select Japanese text in any app, browser, or e-book and tap "Search in Yaku".

Kanji, Pitch Accent & Grammar

* Kokugo (国語) Definitions: Switch to 89,500+ native Japanese definitions and examples from Wiktionary and Japanese WordNet.

* Pitch Accent Dictionary: Visual pitch curves, downstep numbers, and badges (Heiban, Atamadaka, Nakadaka, Odaka) show how words are pronounced.

* Offline Kanji Dictionary & Stroke Order: Animated stroke order diagrams, a 214-radical picker, and grade/JLPT lists.

* Conjugation Tables: Ichidan, Godan, kuru, suru verbs and i-adjectives in 20+ forms, from polite to passive and -tai.

* Read Casual Japanese: Contracted forms from manga and chat (~chau, ~toku, ~sugiru) are traced back to the dictionary form.

Reading, Vocabulary & Anki Study

* Anki Flashcard Export: Export lists or JLPT levels to .apkg decks with pitch diagrams and examples. yaku://entry links open words from cards or notes.

* Sentence Breakdown: Split pasted Japanese text into words, conjugated forms, and particles.

* Example Sentences: Paired Japanese-English sentences from Tatoeba show words in context.

* Japanese Thesaurus: WordNet synonyms, broader terms, and narrower terms for each sense.

* Loanwords & Wasei-eigo: Trace katakana loanword origins and spot Japanese-made English (#waseieigo).

Customization & Offline Data

* Make It Yours: Reorder detail cards, turn data layers (pitch, Kokugo, names, WordNet) on or off, and jump via table of contents.

* Japanese Names (JMnedict): 740,000+ names, places, and companies. Optional ~69 MB pack via Google Play.

* Lists, History & Backup: Favorites, study lists, viewing history, and zip backups of lists and settings.

* Tablets & Dark Mode: Side rail and two-column layouts for tablets and foldables, plus dark mode and Japanese color themes.

Install Yaku and look up your first word, kanji, or pitch accent—offline.

PRIVACY

No accounts, ads, analytics, or telemetry. Searches, lists, and history stay on your device.

DATA SOURCES & LICENSES

- JMdict, KANJIDIC2 & JMnedict (EDRDG)
- Wadoku & Kanjium pitch accent data
- Japanese WordNet (NICT) & Kaikki Wiktionary
- Tatoeba bilingual examples
- KanjiVG stroke order data (Ulrich Apel)
- DaKanji handwriting model (Dariyooo (DaAppLab))

Full license attributions are available in Settings. Yaku (訳) stands for Yet Another Kokugo Utility.

TRADEMARKS & DISCLAIMERS

Anki is a registered trademark of Damien Elmes and Ankitects Pty Ltd. JLPT is a registered trademark of JEES and Japan Foundation. Uses EDRDG files under licence; EDRDG does not endorse this app. Yaku is independent and not affiliated with these organizations.