Japanese writing system Hiragana and Katakana
Contents
Japanese Writing System
The Japanese language uses four main writing systems. Understanding the role of each system is the first step toward learning Japanese efficiently.
Type
ひらがな (Hiragana)
Hiragana is mainly used for grammar, verb endings, and native Japanese words. It can also replace Kanji when the Kanji is difficult or uncommon.
Type
カタカナ (Katakana)
Katakana is mainly used for foreign words, loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis.
Type
漢字 (Kanji)
Kanji characters usually carry meaning. Japanese words are often formed by combining multiple Kanji or Kanji with Hiragana.
Type
Romaji (Alphabet)
Romaji uses the Latin alphabet to show Japanese pronunciation. It is helpful for beginners learning how to read Japanese sounds.
Learning Hiragana and Katakana first will make reading and pronouncing Japanese much easier.
Basic Hiragana and Katakana
The first writing systems you should learn are Hiragana and Katakana. Together, they are called Kana. Since a large portion of Japanese sentences uses Kana, mastering them will help you start reading Japanese quickly.
Kana pronunciation is relatively easy because there is usually a one-to-one relationship between each Kana character and its sound.
The chart below shows the basic Hiragana (red) and Katakana (blue) characters and their pronunciations.
Unlike English, Japanese pronunciation is very consistent. In most cases, each character is always pronounced the same way.
For example, すし is pronounced “sushi.” The character す is always pronounced “su,” and し is always pronounced “shi.”
In English, the letter “A” can have different pronunciations depending on the word. Japanese pronunciation is much more consistent, which makes it easier for beginners to learn.
We recommend memorizing Hiragana and Katakana together so you can recognize both writing systems naturally.
Combined Hiragana and Katakana
Japanese also has modified Kana characters created by adding symbols or using smaller Kana characters.
You do not need to memorize the technical names at first. Focus on learning the pronunciation of each character combination.
Dakuon and Handakuon
Dakuon (だくおん) are voiced sounds created by adding quotation-like marks (゛) to Kana characters. For example: た → だ.
Handakuon (はんだくおん) are sounds created by adding a small circle (゜) to Kana characters. For example: は → ぱ.
For example, パンダ means “panda” in Japanese, and the pronunciation is very similar to English.
Yoon and Sokuon
Yoon (ようおん) are combined sounds made by adding small ゃ, ゅ, or ょ characters to Kana.
Sokuon (そくおん) is the small っ character that creates a short pause or doubled consonant sound.
For example, ピカチュウ is pronounced “Pikachu.”
Dakuon or Handakuon + Yoon
Some Japanese sounds combine Dakuon or Handakuon with Yoon patterns.
For example, ギャラドス is pronounced “Gyarados.”
Next Step: Start Reading Japanese
Once you can read Hiragana and Katakana, you will be able to pronounce most Japanese words correctly. This is a huge first step toward learning Japanese.
Continue practicing every day, and try reading simple Japanese words around you, such as food names, anime titles, or signs.
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