Learn Japanese Script Part 2--> Kanji (Chinese) characters for Japanese

       The next step to learning Japanese script is to start learning the Kanji characters. Start with the simplest characters some of which are given in the following table. Strokes are generally written from left to right and top to bottom. It is easier to start learning Kanji in groups like numbers, days of the week, verbs, adjectives etc.
       Use a good workbook to learn Kanji as well as the strokes in steps and to maintain a record of your learning's, memory aid software's such as Anki etc. can be useful to maintain and plan your learning's. Also use a notebook with square boxes to write and practice each Kanji several times (remember how you studied the alphabets as a child).
      Class room sessions can also be very effective as the teacher may use different methods like visual aids, flash cards etc. to help you learn the Kanji's in a easier way.

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）（ア）- read as  “aa” that is "a" of "ah"
i （い）（イ）- read as “ee” that is "e" of we
u （う） （ウ）- read as “ooh” that is "oo" of "soon"
e （え）（エ）- read as “ee” that is "e" of "get"
o （お）（オ）- 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?　（これはなんですか？） (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.

How to start learning the Japanese Language-Part1

How to start learning the Japanese Language?

Well, find out a good school nearby. See that they give equal emphasis on all the 4 aspects of learning any language, reading, writing, speaking and listening.

If you are planning to study on your own then the best way is to start with learning the script. There are 3 scripts in Japanese Hiragana, Katakana called Kana and Kanji which are pictorial representations. When you write Japanese using English alphabets, it is called as Romaji.

Why so many scripts?

It was due to the development of the Japanese language over the years. To keep it simple we can say that Hiragana is used for local Japanese words and is indispensable for particles and inflections of verbs etc. Katakana on the other hand is used for words of foreign origin, such as names of foreigners for example and for emphasis for example in advertisements, Japanese comics etc.

It is easier to start with Hiragana which has 46 syllables and is simple to learn as it has only 1-4 strokes.

The first line is vowels and the remaining is consonants. Romaji is given in brackets.

あ(a) え(e) い(i) お(o) う(u)

か(ka) け(ke) き(ki) こ(ko) く(ku)

さ(sa) せ(se) し(shi) そ(so) す(su)

た(ta) て(te) ち(chi) と(to) つ(tsu)

な(na) ね(ne) に(ni) の(no) ぬ(nu)

は(ha) へ(he) ひ(hi) ほ(ho) ふ(fu)

ま(ma) め(me) み(mi) も(mo) む(mu)

や(ya) よ(yo) ゆ(yu)

わ(wa) を(wo)