Are you ready to start your Japanese journey but the writing systems seem daunting and a little scary? Well look no further, I am here to help explain the basics of the Japanese writing systems and break down the differences between them. With a little help, you will be well on your way to learning how to read and write in Japanese!
Introduction to the Three Writing Systems
Japanese has three distinct scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. In normal Japanese writing, you will see all of these jumbled together in a sentence, but each of them has a unique role in the language, so let’s learn about them separately.
Hiragana, the first script typically taught to learners, consists of 46 characters, each representing a syllable. It has a soft and cursive appearance. For instance, the word こんにちは “konnichiwa” meaning “hello” is written entirely in hiragana. Additionally, hiragana is used for verb conjugations, particles, and other essential elements of Japanese sentences, allowing learners to form coherent sentences and comprehend basic expressions.
Katakana, similar in structure to hiragana, also comprises 46 characters, but its appearance is angular and sharp. Katakana is primarily used for foreign words, names, and loanwords from other languages. For example, コーヒー “koohii” is the katakana word for “coffee.” Katakana usually means that the word is of foreign origin, making it easier for Japanese speakers to recognize and pronounce these words.
Kanji, the most intricate script, is derived from Chinese characters and consists of thousands of characters. Each Kanji represents a concept, word, or idea. For instance, the kanji 今 means “now” or the kanji 日 means “day.” We can also combine certain kanji to make more complex words, like 今日 which makes the word “today.” Kanji is commonly used for nouns, adjectives, verbs, and other essential elements of Japanese text. Kanji might seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry, they aren’t that complicated and there are plenty of strategies that can help you learn them effectively!
Together, these three scripts are used to create full Japanese sentences. For instance, a Japanese sentence might look like this:
今日はコーヒーを飲みました。
“Kyou ha koohii wo nomimashita”
Today I drank coffee.
Hiragana
Hiragana is made up of 46 main symbols. Each of these represents a syllable. For example, the hiragana ね is pronounced “ne” and こ is pronounced “ko.” We can put these together to make the word ねこ or “neko” meaning cat. Hiragana is used for some words, but it can also be used for grammatical parts of speech like particles or at the end of verbs to conjugate them. Most importantly, hiragana is the foundation of Japanese, so when you are learning kanji, the pronunciation for them can be spelled out with hiragana, which makes it a great stepping stone to learning kanji. So once you learn these symbols thoroughly, you can always fall back on using them if you don’t remember the kanji for a certain word.
You can tell hiragana apart from katakana because it is more rounded and curved.
Katakana
Similar in structure to hiragana, katakana is another essential script in the Japanese writing system. Comprising 46 characters as well, katakana, however, serves a different purpose. It is mostly used for foreign words, names, and loanwords from other languages. For instance, the word ミルク is pronounced “miruku” and means “milk.”
The best part about katakana is that when you get used to Japanese pronunciation, you can sound out most of these words with no need to translate them because most words come from English! So “table” in Japanese is simply テーブル “teeburu,” or “lemon” is レモン is “remon.” Essentially these are just English words pronounced with a Japanese accent.
Katakana can also be used to emphasize words, or the foreign word can come from a language other than English, so this isn’t always the case. But for the most part, katakana will be the easiest script for you to learn in Japanese. You can tell the difference between hiragana and katakana because katakana is more angular with sharp angles.
Kanji
Arguably the most intricate and fascinating writing system, kanji, consists of thousands of characters. Don’t let this intimate you though! You only need to know about 1000 to function in Japanese life, and there are a ton of helpful ways to learn them to make it easy.
The kanji are derived from Chinese characters, and each kanji represents a concept, word, or idea. For example, the kanji 外 is pronounced がい “gai” and means “outside.” The kanji 国 is pronounced こく “koku” and means “country.” You can use each of these kanji on its own, but together they make 外国 or がいこく which means “foreign country.”
This is really the beauty of Japanese; you can actually see the meanings of words with the images that kanji create. One of my favorites is 花火 (はなび or “hanabi”) which comprises the kanji for “flower” and “fire,” and together they make the word “fireworks.” Isn’t kanji beautiful!?
Kanji is commonly used for nouns, adjectives, verbs, and other essential elements of Japanese text, and mastering it provides insight into the depth of Japanese literature and history.
Effective Ways to Memorize Kana and Kanji
As learners start on their journey to master the Japanese writing systems, memorization techniques are key. Hiragana and katakana together are simply called the “kana,” and for these, the best way to memorize them is through writing and flashcards. Language apps online can really help you with correct pronunciation and memorizing each symbol. But don’t rule out good old-fashioned pen and paper as well. Science has proven over and over that writing helps cement concepts in your brain! The good news is that the kana each only has 46 base symbols, so it should only take you a few days to a few weeks to get a good grasp of them all. Once you have your flashcards down, try testing yourself by reading Japanese words and seeing how fast you can pronounce each kana.
Conquering kanji requires patience and dedication. You might feel like it’s impossible to learn so many, but starting out with a few dozen simple ones that are used every day will help you get the hang of how they work. Once you know a few dozen and their meanings and how to read them, there are a few tips that can help you expand your kanji knowledge.
Firstly, learning the radicals, which are the smaller parts that make up the kanji, can really help with meanings. For instance the radical 亻means “person” and when it shows up in a kanji, you can usually assume that the meaning will have to do with people. For example, the word “body” is 体. Learning these radicals can really give you a leg up on meanings when it comes to learning new kanji.
Another great way to help you learn the kanji is through SRS or spaced-repetition systems. This is just a fancy way to use flashcards that are backed by science to help you remember more effectively. The app Anki is one of the best SRS to use for flashcards and comes with a ton of great decks to help you learn the kanji characters.
Lastly, learning the stroke order for kanji can help you write them and tell the difference between characters that might look similar. Each kanji has a specific order you write the strokes in. Once you know this, you will be able to more easily recognize the characters, and be able to write them yourself, which will aid in memorization.
Conclusion
The three writing systems, hiragana, katakana, and kanji, form the bedrock of the Japanese language, providing learners with an exciting journey into the heart of Japanese culture and communication. As you start your quest to master these scripts, embrace the beauty of each system, and remember that consistent practice and perseverance are the keys to unlocking reading and writing in Japanese!
