Stop "Studying" N3. Start Mining Local Files.

~982hours

of immersion to reach N2

Based on your settings below. Adjust the calculator to customize.

N3
Yearly Journey53% Complete

By Dec 31, 2026, you'll have immersed for 525 hrs at this pace.

Language & Levels

N3

N3 (Intermediate)

N2

N2 (Pre-Advanced)

Study Parameters

How closely related is this to languages you already know?

1.5 hrs
0.5 hr8 hrs

Method & Goals

Reading-While-Listening boosts input efficiency (1.4x speed).

Active Fluency requires +25% time for output/speaking drills.

Expert NoteKanji acquisition is a marathon. Grammar is distinct (SOV) and highly agglutinative.
YouTube: 295 hoursTV Shows: 246 hoursPodcasts: 147 hoursFilms: 147 hoursReading/Books: 147 hours982HOURS
Est. CompletionOctober 2027

Media Breakdown

~1,770 videos
~615 episodes
~196 episodes
~89 movies
~30 books
Efficiency Savings
-393 hrs

* Average Lengths: YT (10m) • TV (24m) • Podcast (45m) • Film (100m) • Book (300m)

Stop "Studying" N3. Start Mining Local Files.

Textbooks gets you to N3. Immersion gets you to N2. But only if your workflow is fast enough to keep up with your brain.

💡 Key Insight: Speed is the metric that matters now. Browser extensions are too slow. Desktop apps keep you in the flow state.

Key Numbers

Instant
Lookup Speed

Hover to translate. Click to mine. Zero lag.

Source: Local Dictionary
100%
Flow State

Local files never buffer. Keep your immersion unbroken.

Source: No Buffering
Deep
Focus

No browser tabs to distract you.

Source: App Environment

The Need for Speed

Going from N3 to N2 requires volume. You need to consume millions of words of Japanese. If your tools have friction—if you have to wait 2 seconds for a dictionary popup, or 5 minutes to upload a file—you will quit.

Browser vs Desktop: Browser extensions are great for starting out. But they rely on the browser's rendering engine, which can get bogged down with heavy subtitles or 4K video. They also depend on your internet connection.

SubSmith is Built for Volume: We optimized every interaction for speed. Dictionary lookups happen locally in milliseconds. Video playback is hardware-accelerated. You can sentence mine 50 cards in 5 minutes without ever waiting for a loading spinner.

The "Flow State" Difference: When your tools are invisible, you stop thinking about "studying" and start just "watching." That is when N2 happens. SubSmith removes the interface friction so you can focus on the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use it for manga?

SubSmith is video-focused (for now). Use it for your anime and drama immersion to build the listening/vocab base for reading.

How much does it cost?

SubSmith offers a 7-day free trial. After the trial, paid plans start at $5/month or $40/year.

Learn more: The Math of Fluency · Science of Subtitles · Comprehensible Input

The Science Behind the Math

This calculator isn't a random guess. It's built on 70+ years of linguistic research from the U.S. FSI, academic studies on vocabulary acquisition, and modern immersion efficiency data. Read the full deep dive.

Base Hours: FSI Standard

We use the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) difficulty rankings as our baseline. The FSI has trained US diplomats for decades, gathering precise data on class hours required for proficiency.

  • Category I (e.g. Spanish): ~600-750 hours
  • Category V (e.g. Japanese): ~2200 hours
Note: FSI figures assume "classroom hours" + equal self-study. We adjust this base to reflect total immersion time required for an independent learner.

Efficiency: Reading-While-Listening

Dr. Paul Nation's research (Victoria University of Wellington) on the "Four Strands" of language learning highlights the power of bi-modal input.

Combining audio with matching text (RWL) creates a 1.4x efficiency boost in vocabulary retention compared to listening alone. It bridges the gap between the high retention of reading and the natural flow of listening.

Why the "Active Fluency" Penalty?

The "Silent Period" Reality

Linguistic research consistently shows that receptive fluency (understanding) always precedes active fluency (speaking). Children understand language months before they speak.

Our Calculation (+25%)

Bridging the gap from "Input Only" to "Active Fluency" requires output drills (speaking/writing). We add a conservative 25% time surcharge to account for this necessary activation energy.

Key Research Sources:

Ready to Start Your Immersion Journey?

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