1.0 · release candidateiOS · Android

KotoSense

Japanese grammar patterns, starting from "why this one".

Who it is for — Korean speakers learning Japanese

What it does

Why this pattern

Each pattern: a summary, then details, connection, conditions, pitfalls and look-alikes. Where patterns that translate the same actually split, shown in a situation.

What it would have meant

Get a question wrong and the app explains not why you were wrong but how the sentence's meaning would have changed with that answer. Every choice has a note.

Days later, another sentence

The same pattern comes back in a different sentence, to tell a memorized answer from understanding. A daily review cap keeps it from piling up.

Where you slip

Meaning, connection and conjugation, similar patterns, or context: the app shows where the mistakes cluster.

Five to ten minute sets

Units per level (basic, N5 to N1) in short sets. Stop anywhere and resume from the last position.

Records stay on the device

Learning records never leave the phone, even when you sign in. Sign-in is optional. Export and reset are in Settings. No analytics or tracking inside the app.

Why it exists

Many Japanese patterns look the same once translated into Korean: 「〜ところだ」 and 「〜ばかりだ」, 「〜はずだ」 and 「〜べきだ」. A dictionary gives the meaning but not when to use which. KotoSense shows the difference in a situation and explains what your sentence would have meant with the answer you picked.

A study set

Explanation (summary → details, connection, conditions, pitfalls, look-alikes)
 → Examples (Japanese / reading toggle / Korean)
 → Questions (choose → instant answer with a note per choice; ordering questions by pieces)
 → Done (score, next review date, next set)

Stop anywhere; the home screen offers “continue”.

Review

Each day has a cap; the overflow rolls to tomorrow. Due items come back unanswered questions first, and the result sets the next date. Review reminders fire only if you turn them on, once a day, on the device, and stop when the app is not opened. That is by design: no nagging.

Said plainly

  • A study aid for JLPT grammar; no promised result, no affiliation with the organizers.
  • Level grouping is the app’s own; the organizers publish no grammar list.
  • The 1.0 content is a draft before human review, and every screen says so.

The app’s interface is in Korean.

Questions

Is it for the JLPT?

It is a study aid for JLPT grammar. It promises no result and is not affiliated with the organizers. Level grouping is the app's own; the organizers publish no grammar list.

Who reviewed the content?

The 1.0 content is a draft before human review, and every screen says so. Report mistakes with the in-app button; they are checked and fixed.

Is it free?

Pattern explanations, examples and answer notes are always free. Study sets have a daily free allowance; for more, tap 'Watch an ad for a coin'. Ads play only when you tap, and if one cannot load you get the coin anyway. There are no paid products.

What about a new phone?

Records live only on the device, so export from Settings > Data and import on the new phone. Signing in does not upload them, so the developer cannot restore them for you.

How does example audio work?

It uses the speech synthesis installed on your device. Some devices synthesize on the manufacturer's servers, according to the device settings. Learning records are never sent.