📝 The Japanese Writing System
Japanese uses three scripts simultaneously. You generally cannot choose just one; they work together in a single sentence. Understanding this foundation is essential before learning grammar.
Hiragana (ひらがな)
Hiragana is the foundation of Japanese writing. It has 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable sound. It is used for:
- Grammar particles (は, の, を, etc.)
- Verb endings and conjugations
- Native Japanese words without Kanji
Shape: Curvy and round.
| Vowels | ka-row | sa-row | ta-row | na-row |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ (a) | か (ka) | さ (sa) | た (ta) | な (na) |
| い (i) | き (ki) | し (shi) | ち (chi) | に (ni) |
| う (u) | く (ku) | す (su) | つ (tsu) | ぬ (nu) |
| え (e) | け (ke) | せ (se) | て (te) | ね (ne) |
| お (o) | こ (ko) | そ (so) | と (to) | の (no) |
| ha-row | ma-row | ya-row | ra-row | wa/n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| は (ha) | ま (ma) | や (ya) | ら (ra) | わ (wa) |
| ひ (hi) | み (mi) | り (ri) | ||
| ふ (fu) | む (mu) | ゆ (yu) | る (ru) | |
| へ (he) | め (me) | れ (re) | ||
| ほ (ho) | も (mo) | よ (yo) | ろ (ro) | ん (n) |
Dakuten (゛) and Handakuten (゜)
Adding small marks changes consonant sounds:
| Base | Dakuten (゛) | Handakuten (゜) |
|---|---|---|
| か (ka) → | が (ga) | — |
| さ (sa) → | ざ (za) | — |
| た (ta) → | だ (da) | — |
| は (ha) → | ば (ba) | ぱ (pa) |
Study Tip: Practice writing each character by hand. Muscle memory is the fastest way to internalize Hiragana.
Katakana (カタカナ)
Katakana also has 46 basic characters, representing the exact same sounds as Hiragana. It is used primarily for:
- Loanwords from foreign languages (コーヒー koohii — Coffee)
- Foreign names and places (アメリカ Amerika — America)
- Emphasis (like italics in English)
- Onomatopoeia
Shape: Sharp, angular, and straight.
| Vowels | ka-row | sa-row | ta-row | na-row |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ア (a) | カ (ka) | サ (sa) | タ (ta) | ナ (na) |
| イ (i) | キ (ki) | シ (shi) | チ (chi) | ニ (ni) |
| ウ (u) | ク (ku) | ス (su) | ツ (tsu) | ヌ (nu) |
| エ (e) | ケ (ke) | セ (se) | テ (te) | ネ (ne) |
| オ (o) | コ (ko) | ソ (so) | ト (to) | ノ (no) |
Common Katakana Words
| Katakana | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| コンピューター | konpyuutaa | Computer |
| テレビ | terebi | Television |
| レストラン | resutoran | Restaurant |
| ホテル | hoteru | Hotel |
| コーヒー | koohii | Coffee |
Kanji (漢字)
Kanji are Chinese characters adopted into Japanese. Each character represents both a sound and a meaning. They are used for nouns, and the stems of adjectives and verbs.
Key facts:
- Over 2,000 Kanji are used in daily Japanese (常用漢字 jouyou kanji)
- Each Kanji has at least two readings: On’yomi (Chinese reading) and Kun’yomi (Japanese reading)
- JLPT N5 requires about 100 Kanji
Starter Kanji
| Kanji | Meaning | On’yomi | Kun’yomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 日 | Day / Sun | ニチ (nichi) | ひ (hi) |
| 本 | Book / Origin | ホン (hon) | もと (moto) |
| 人 | Person | ジン (jin) | ひと (hito) |
| 大 | Big | ダイ (dai) | おお (oo) |
| 学 | Study | ガク (gaku) | まな (mana) |
Example: 日本 (Nihon) = 日 (sun) + 本 (origin) = “Origin of the Sun” — Japan!
How the Three Scripts Work Together
In a real Japanese sentence, all three scripts appear:
私はコーヒーが好きです。
| Script | Part | Romaji | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 漢字 (Kanji) | 私 | watashi | ”I” — content word |
| ひらがな (Hiragana) | は | wa | Topic particle |
| カタカナ (Katakana) | コーヒー | koohii | ”Coffee” — loanword |
| ひらがな (Hiragana) | が | ga | Subject particle |
| 漢字 (Kanji) | 好き | suki | ”Like” — content word |
| ひらがな (Hiragana) | です | desu | Copula (polite ending) |
Do not rely on Romaji (Japanese written in English letters). Master Hiragana immediately to ensure correct pronunciation and reading ability.
Practice Tips
- Learn Hiragana first — spend 1-2 weeks until you can read without hesitation
- Then learn Katakana — same sounds, different shapes
- Start Kanji gradually — learn 3-5 new Kanji per day alongside your grammar studies
- Read everything you can — labels, menus, signs (even in photos)
- Write by hand — it dramatically improves retention