July 30, 2011

Learn Japanese script Hiragana and Katakana

Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji are the three scripts used by modern japanese writing system. When written with english alaphabets it is called romaji. For beginner`s it is better to start directly with hiragana and katakana rather than romaji . Most simple sentences can be written by either hiragana (usually in books for beginner`s) or combination of hiragana and kanji which is the most commonly used. Katakana is used mostly for foreign words like India (indo-->インド )etc.

  













The list of hiragana and katakana is given below.
Romaji (in English alphabets), Hiragana and Katakana given is given in bold
a(あ)()- read as  “aa” that is "a" of "ah"
i (い)()- read as “ee” that is "e" of we
u (う) ()- read as “ooh” that is "oo" of "soon"
e (え)()- read as “ee” that is "e" of "get"
o (お)()- read as “oo” that is "o" of 'old"
then follow by …ka, ki, ku, ke, ko (か、き、く、け、こ) (カ、キ、ク、ケ、コ
sa, shi, su, se, so (さ、し、す、せ、そ) (サ、シ、ス、セ、ソ
ta, chi, tsu, te, to (”tsu” pronounce as “zu”) (た、ち、つ、て、と) (タ、チ、ツ、テ、ト
ha, hi, hu/fu, he, ho (は、ひ、ふ、へ、ほ) (ハ、ヒ、フ、ヘ、ホ
ma, mi, mu, me, mo (ま、み、む、め、も) (マ、ミ、ム、メ、モ
na, ni, nu, ne, no (な、に、ぬ、ね、の) (ナ、ニ、ヌ、ネ、ノ
ya, yu, yo (や、ゆ、よ) (ヤ、ユ、ヨ
ra, ri, ru, re, ro (ら、り、る、れ、ろ) (ラ、リ、ル、レ、ロ
wa, o, n (”n” pronounce as “earn”) (わ、を、ん) (ワ、ヲ、ン
ga, gi, gu, ge, go (が、ぎ、ぐ、げ、ご) (ガ、ギ、グ、ゲ、ゴ
za, zi/ji, zu, ze, zo (ざ、じ、ず、ぜ、ぞ) (ザ、ジ、ズ、ゼ、ゾ
da, ji, zu, de, do (だ、じ、づ、で、ど) (ダ、ヂ、ジ、デ、ド
ba, bi, bu, be, bo (ば、び、ぶ、べ、ぼ) (バ、ビ、ブ、ベ、ボ
pa, pi, pu, pe, po (ぱ、ぴ、ぷ、ぺ、ぽ) (パ、ピ、プ、ペ、ポ
kya, kyu, kyo (きゃ、きゅ、きょ) (キャ、キュ、キョ
gya, gyu, gyo (ぎゃ、ぎゅ、ぎょ) (ギャ、ギュ、ギョ
sha, shu, sho (しゃ、しゅ、しょ) (シャ、シュ、ショ
ja, ju, jo (じゃ、じゅ、じょ) (ジャ、ジュ、ジョ
cha, chu, cho (ちゃ、ちゅ、ちょ) (チャ、チュ、チョ
hya, hyu, hyo (ひゃ、ひゅ、ひょ) (ヒャ、ヒュ、ヒョ
nya, nyu, nyo (にゃ、にゅ、にょ) (ニャ、ニュ、ニョ
bya, byu, byo (びゃ、びゅ、びょ) (ビャ、ビュ、ビョ
pya, pyu, pyo (ぴゃ、ぴゅ、ぴょ) (ピャ、ピュ、ピョ
mya, myu, myo (みゃ、みゅ、みょ) (ミャ、ミュ、ミョ
rya, ryu, ryo (りゃ、りゅ、りょ) (リャ、リュ、リョ
There are 2 special characters that pronounce differently from it’s ususal pronunciation depending on how it is used : “ha(は)” should be read as “wa” when it is use individually as in the following example kore ha nan desu ka? (これなんですか?) (What is this?) - we should read this as “kore wa nan desu ka? and also “he(へ)”, it should read as “e” when used individually.

By mastering the above you will have completed the study of the basic Japanese script.

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