This is a great question and NambaOne is on the right track. Simply
studying many words will not make you better at Japanese. Rather,
focus on what you know and gradually improve your vocabulary with
everyday practice. [br][br]You can learn perhaps 100 new words per
day, but how many of those words will you remember a week or two
later? Those words really do stack up and you'll have to quiz
yourself daily so you don't forget them. In my opinion, I think
that if you learn 5-10 new words per day with daily review, you'll
be in the right direction. Those words can easily come from your 5
kanji per day if you're really dedicated. However, don't over exert
yourself to learning too many words as it can be very daunting!
Most importantly, practicing not only by flash cards but with
others learning Japanese is crucial to your success in mastering
the Japanese language![br][br]But how many words do you need to
learn? Well, that depends on how far you want to get in Japanese.
Apparently, men use about 13,000 words per day, and women use about
20,000. In an entire year, you would have to learn 54.8 words per
day to match the vocabulary of the average woman. Obviously,
learning Japanese isn't something that you do in weeks, months or
even in a year (unlike what some companies claim). If you take your
time, you'll learn enough words in 4 years to speak Japanese
fluently. Most who immerse themselves in Japan only take 2-years! I
know it only took me 2 years to learn English by moving to the
US.[br][br]Moral of the story is that you shouldn't be so fixated
with vocabulary. Most of what you'll learn will not be from strict
memorization but through conversations and immersion. "Oh that must
mean this..." will happen a lot while you're watching a dorama, or
listening to jpop. I hope this explanation helps and didn't deter
you from learning Japanese! The more you learn, the faster you'll
learn new stuff =)[br]
