SubPair / Guides
Learn Korean, Japanese or Spanish with Netflix
Updated
Short answer: the method is the same for every language: watch shows made in that language with the original audio, put its subtitles on top and yours underneath, save useful phrases and review them. What changes is the first hurdle. In Korean it is the alphabet and speech levels; in Japanese, the writing system and shortened subtitles; in Spanish, regional varieties and dubbing. This page covers what is specific to each.
What is SubPair?
SubPair is a Chrome extension that shows two subtitle lines at once on Netflix, YouTube and Disney+: the original and a translation in your language. Click any word for its meaning, save words and phrases, and review them later. It is currently free for everyone, with unlimited auto-translation and every Pro feature; a paid Pro plan may come later.
What works for every language
- Choose titles originally made in the language you are learning. A dubbed version and its subtitles are usually translated separately, so they rarely match.
- Put that language on top and yours underneath. As it gets easier, blur your line (Alt+B).
- Replay hard lines (S), loop one (Alt+L) and say it with the actor.
- Save phrases with their line and review them at growing intervals: the save-and-review method.
The full routine is in how to learn a language with Netflix; setup is in dual subtitles on Netflix.
Learn Korean with Netflix
- Learn Hangul first. Korean is written with an alphabet, not with pictures for words. Once you can sound out the letters, Korean subtitles stop being a wall of shapes and start matching what you hear.
- Listen for speech levels. Korean changes verb endings with politeness: characters speak formally to strangers and bosses and casually to friends. Dramas show both, so notice who uses which with whom. Keeping the whole line when you save a phrase keeps that context.
- Your language’s subtitle is a translation, not a transcript. Forms of address such as 오빠 or 선배 often disappear in translation; the Korean line shows what was actually said.
- Watch the endings. Korean attaches particles to words, so the word you click may come with an ending such as -에 or -는. When you save it, note the basic form too.
Learn Japanese with Netflix
- Learn hiragana and katakana first. Subtitles mix them with kanji. Knowing the two kana scripts lets you read the grammar of every line even before you know the kanji.
- Expect shortened subtitles. Japanese subtitles are condensed to fit the screen and don’t always match the audio word for word. That gap is useful: listen for what was left out.
- Japanese has no spaces. SubPair splits each line into words with the browser’s built-in word segmentation, so a click lands on a word. If a split looks wrong, drag across the characters you want and save them as a phrase.
- Pick the register you want. Anime characters often speak in exaggerated, stylised ways. For everyday Japanese, mix in live-action dramas, reality shows and documentaries.
Learn Spanish with Netflix
- Choose a variety. Spanish from Spain and from Latin America differ in pronunciation, some vocabulary and forms of address. Both are correct; choose the one you want to speak and watch shows made there.
- Check the track. Many titles offer separate Spanish audio and subtitles for Spain and for Latin America. Pick subtitles that match the audio you are listening to.
- Avoid dubbed Spanish at first. On a show made in another language, the Spanish dub and the Spanish subtitles are often translated separately, so they won’t match line for line.
- Slow it down. Spanish can sound fast at first. Auto-pause (Alt+P) stops after each line, and Netflix’s own speed menu can slow a scene down.
Find shows in the language you are learning
On the Netflix website, the Browse by Languages page lists titles by their original language, and you can narrow it by audio or subtitle language. Catalogues and subtitle languages differ by country, so the same title may have different tracks where you live.
Before you commit to a series, open the first episode and check its subtitle menu: you want a subtitle track in the language you are learning. If your own language is missing, SubPair fills the second line with auto-translation and the side panel says so.
Questions about learning Korean, Japanese or Spanish with Netflix
You can build listening and vocabulary with Korean shows, especially once you can read Hangul. Use Korean subtitles on top and your language underneath, save phrases with their line, and review them. For grammar and speaking, add a course or a teacher.
Not always word for word. Subtitles are shortened so they can be read in time, and casual speech is sometimes written more neatly than it is spoken. Listen for the differences: they are part of what you learn.
Either is fine; pick the variety you want to speak and watch shows made in that region. Many titles offer separate Spanish tracks for Spain and Latin America, so check which one you have selected.
Yes, with an extension in desktop Chrome. SubPair shows the title's Korean or Japanese subtitle with a second line in your language. When the title has a subtitle track in that language, the second line comes from it; otherwise auto-translation fills it.
Right now SubPair is free for everyone: unlimited auto-translation and every Pro feature, including per-line appearance and Anki export, with no account needed to start. A paid Pro plan may come later.
Try it on your next episode
Learning English instead? Read how to learn English with Netflix.