Japanese Hiragana and Katakana Words234

Hiragana and katakana are two phonetic syllabaries used in the Japanese writing system. Hiragana is used to write native Japanese words, while katakana is used to write foreign words, loanwords, onomatopoeia, and for emphasis. Both hiragana and katakana have 46 basic characters, which represent the sounds of the Japanese language. In addition to the basic characters, there are also a number of modified characters that are used to represent certain sounds.

Hiragana

Hiragana is a cursive script that is derived from the Chinese character man'yōgana, which was used to write Japanese words in the 8th century. Hiragana is used to write native Japanese words, as well as grammatical particles and suffixes. It is also used to write the readings of kanji, which are Chinese characters that are used in the Japanese writing system. Hiragana is a relatively easy script to learn, and it is often the first script that is taught to students of Japanese.

Hiragana Characters

The following table shows the 46 basic hiragana characters, along with their romanizations and pronunciations:| Character | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| あ | a | ah |
| い | i | ee |
| う | u | oo |
| え | e | eh |
| お | o | oh |
| か | ka | kah |
| き | ki | kee |
| く | ku | koo |
| け | ke | keh |
| こ | ko | koh |
| さ | sa | sah |
| し | shi | shee |
| す | su | soo |
| せ | se | seh |
| そ | so | soh |
| た | ta | tah |
| ち | chi | chee |
| つ | tsu | tsoo |
| て | te | teh |
| と | to | toh |
| な | na | nah |
| に | ni | nee |
| ぬ | nu | noo |
| ね | ne | neh |
| の | no | noh |
| は | ha | hah |
| ひ | hi | hee |
| ふ | fu | foo |
| へ | he | heh |
| ほ | ho | hoh |
| ま | ma | mah |
| み | mi | mee |
| む | mu | moo |
| め | me | meh |
| も | mo | moh |
| や | ya | yah |
| ゆ | yu | yoo |
| よ | yo | yoh |
| ら | ra | rah |
| り | ri | ree |
| る | ru | roo |
| れ | re | reh |
| ろ | ro | roh |
| わ | wa | wah |
| を | o | oh |
| ん | n | nn |

Katakana

Katakana is a more angular script that is derived from the Chinese character hiragana, which was used to write Japanese words in the 9th century. Katakana is used to write foreign words, loanwords, onomatopoeia, and for emphasis. It is also used to write the names of people and places. Katakana is a relatively easy script to learn, and it is often the second script that is taught to students of Japanese.

Katakana Characters

The following table shows the 46 basic katakana characters, along with their romanizations and pronunciations:| Character | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ア | a | ah |
| イ | i | ee |
| ウ | u | oo |
| エ | e | eh |
| オ | o | oh |
| カ | ka | kah |
| キ | ki | kee |
| ク | ku | koo |
| ケ | ke | keh |
| コ | ko | koh |
| サ | sa | sah |
| シ | shi | shee |
| ス | su | soo |
| セ | se | seh |
| ソ | so | soh |
| タ | ta | tah |
| チ | chi | chee |
| ツ | tsu | tsoo |
| テ | te | teh |
| ト | to | toh |
| ナ | na | nah |
| ニ | ni | nee |
| ヌ | nu | noo |
| ネ | ne | neh |
| ノ | no | noh |
| ハ | ha | hah |
| ヒ | hi | hee |
| フ | fu | foo |
| ヘ | he | heh |
| ホ | ho | hoh |
| マ | ma | mah |
| ミ | mi | mee |
| ム | mu | moo |
| メ | me | meh |
| モ | mo | moh |
| ヤ | ya | yah |
| ユ | yu | yoo |
| ヨ | yo | yoh |
| ラ | ra | rah |
| リ | ri | ree |
| ル | ru | roo |
| レ | re | reh |
| ロ | ro | roh |
| ワ | wa | wah |
| ヲ | o | oh |
| ン | n | nn |

Using Hiragana and Katakana

Hiragana and katakana are used together to write Japanese. Hiragana is used to write native Japanese words, while katakana is used to write foreign words, loanwords, onomatopoeia, and for emphasis. When writing Japanese, it is important to use the correct script for each word. Using the wrong script can make it difficult for readers to understand what you are writing.

Examples

The following are some examples of how hiragana and katakana are used together in Japanese:* こんにちは (konnichiwa) - hello
* ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) - thank you
* 東京 (tōkyō) - Tokyo
* パソコン (pasokon) - computer
* バナナ (banana) - banana

Learning Hiragana and Katakana

Hiragana and katakana are relatively easy scripts to learn. There are a number of resources available to help you learn, including books, websites, and apps. Once you have learned the basic characters, you can practice writing Japanese words and sentences. The more you practice, the easier it will become to read and write Japanese.

Learning hiragana and katakana is a valuable skill for anyone who wants to learn Japanese. By learning these two scripts, you will be able to read and write Japanese words and sentences. This will open up a whole new world of Japanese language and culture for you to explore.

2024-11-21

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