tag

#writing-systems

6 pages tagged

Language Learning › Learn Japanese › Skills ›

Hiragana

Hiragana (ひらがな) is the first and most fundamental Japanese writing system you must learn. Every Japanese word can be written in hiragana, making it the phonetic backbone of the language. Master hiragana in 1–2 weeks before attempting any Japanese grammar, vocabulary, or kanji study. The Gojuuon Chart (五十音 — 50-sound chart) The gojuuon organizes hiragana by vowel column and consonant row. Read columns left to right, rows top to bottom:...
japanese hiragana writing-systems language-learning May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Japanese › Japanese Writing Systems ›

Hiragana Complete Reference

Complete reference for all hiragana characters. See the hiragana skill guide for the learning strategy, stroke order tips, and practice methods. Base Hiragana (46 characters) a i u e o ∅ あ (a) い (i) う (u) え (e) お (o) k か (ka) き (ki) く (ku) け (ke) こ (ko) s さ (sa) し (shi) す (su) せ (se) そ (so) t た (ta) ち (chi) つ (tsu)...
japanese hiragana writing-systems language-learning May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Japanese › Japanese Writing Systems ›

Katakana Complete Reference

Complete reference for all katakana characters and loanword transcription patterns. See the katakana skill guide for the learning strategy and confusable pairs. Base Katakana (46 characters) a i u e o ∅ ア (a) イ (i) ウ (u) エ (e) オ (o) k カ (ka) キ (ki) ク (ku) ケ (ke) コ (ko) s サ (sa) シ (shi) ス (su) セ (se) ソ (so) t タ (ta) チ (chi) ツ...
japanese katakana writing-systems loanwords language-learning May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Japanese › Skills ›

Katakana

Katakana (カタカナ) is the second Japanese phonetic syllabary. It encodes the same sounds as hiragana but with distinct, angular shapes. It is used primarily for foreign loanwords, foreign names, technical terms, and emphasis — and it appears constantly in modern Japanese, especially in food, technology, and pop culture contexts. The Katakana Gojuuon Chart a i u e o ∅ ア a イ i ウ u エ e オ o k...
japanese katakana writing-systems language-learning May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Japanese ›

Japanese Writing Systems

Modern Japanese uses four writing systems simultaneously. A single sentence can contain all four. Understanding how they work together is essential from the very beginning. The Four Writing Systems System Characters Primary use Hiragana 46 base + ~58 variants Grammar endings, particles, native words, furigana Katakana 46 base + ~58 variants Foreign loanwords, emphasis, scientific terms Kanji 2,136 Joyo + more Most nouns, verbs (base), adjectives Romaji 26 Roman letters...
japanese writing-systems hiragana katakana kanji language-learning May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Japanese › Japanese Writing Systems ›

Introduction to Kanji

Kanji (漢字) are Chinese-derived logographic characters that form the backbone of written Japanese. This page introduces the kanji system and the top most common characters. For the complete kanji skills guide, see Kanji Skills . Quick Facts Joyo kanji (常用漢字): 2,136 characters — the official "standard use" list for adults Kyoiku kanji (教育漢字): 1,026 — taught in elementary school grades 1–6 JLPT requirement : N5=103, N4≈284, N3≈651, N2≈1,651, N1≈2,000+ Readings...
japanese kanji writing-systems jlpt language-learning May 30, 2026