Japanese hiragana and katakana for beginners

Tenten and Maru

The first rule of pronunciation in hiragana involves the addition of two small dashes (tenten) or a small circle (maru) to characters Tenten can be applied to 20 hiragana characters, transforming them into voiced consonant sounds For instance, when tenten is added to characters in the Ầ, Ẩ, Ẫ, Ậ, Ắ row, the sound shifts from "k" (as in coat) to "g" (as in goat), producing a noticeable vibration in the throat This transformation applies to all 20 hiragana characters, resulting in voiced sounds such as "g" for k ữ, "d" for t ữ, "z" for s ữ, and "b" for h ữ, with exceptions like ẳ and ẽ pronounced as "ji" (as in jeans), and Ề pronounced as "zu" (as in zoo).

You may have noticed that there are two ways to write the sounds “ji” and “zu.” In most cases “ji” and “zu” are written ẳ and ẵ

Maru ( Ự) are only added to the hiragana characters Ị , ọ , Ố , ồ , Ỗ They become Ọ , ỏ , Ồ , ổ , Ộ and they are pronounced “pa,” “pi,” “pu,” “pe,” “po.” h Ự J p as in “pig”

Enhance your writing skills by vocalizing the sounds while practicing hiragana characters with tenten and maru Begin by tracing the light gray characters, then continue the row independently to reinforce your learning Focus on characters such as ga, gi, gu, and ge, ensuring you master their correct pronunciation and form.

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Jpn Hira&Kata for Beg.indd 64 1/24/11 4:59:32 PM 1/24/11 4:59:32 PM ắᴾ go ắ ắ

Practice writing the characters from the first group using tenten Start by tracing the light gray characters, then fill in the blank boxes with the correct characters.

1 hi ra ga na (hiragana) 2 ma n ga (comics) ọ Ụ ễ ộ Ữ

3 o ni gi ri (rice ball) 4 mi gi (right hand side) ấ Ệ ụ Ớ

5 i ri gu chi (entrance) 6 o yo gu (to swim) ẟ ụ Ẽ ấ ợ

7 ge n ka n (entryway of a Japanese home) 8 ge n ki (fine, healthy) Ữ Ầ Ữ Ữ Ẩ

9 ni ho n go (Japanese language) 10 go ha n (rice; food) Ệ Ỗ Ữ Ị Ữ

11 me ga ne (glasses) 12 u sa gi (rabbit) Ờ Ỉ ạ Ằ

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The second group of characters written with tenten has one exception: ẳ is pronounced “ji.” ằᴾ za ằ ằ ẳᴾ ji ẳ ẳ ẵᴾ zu ẵ ẵ ặᴾ ze ặ ặ ẹᴾ zo ẹ ẹ

Try writing these words that use the second group of tenten characters.

1 za n ne n (unfortunate; too bad) 2 hi za (knee; lap) Ữ Ỉ Ữ ọ

3 ji ka n (time) 4 hi tsu ji (sheep) Ầ Ữ ọ ế

5 chi zu (map) 6 su zu shi i (cool – temperature) Ẽ Ẵ Ẳ ẟ

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7 ka ze (cold – illness; wind) 8 ze n ze n (not…at all; never) Ầ Ữ Ữ

9 zo– (elephant) 10 ka zo ku (family) ạ Ầ Ẫ

The third group of characters with tenten includes two exceptions: "ji" and "zu." While these sounds are typically represented by ẳ and ẵ, they can also be written as ẽ and ề in certain compound words.

“bloody nose” (ha na ji) Ịễẽ and “hammer” (ka na zu chi) ẦễỀẼ ẻᴾ da ẻ ẻ ẽᴾ ji ẽ ẽ Ềᴾ zu Ề Ề Ểᴾ de Ể Ể Ễᴾ do Ễ Ễ

Trace the light gray characters and then complete the word with the correct tenten character.

1 to mo da chi (friend) 2 da re (who) ể ờ Ẽ ủ

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5 da i do ko ro (kitchen) 6 ma do (window) ẟ Ắ Ứ ộ

The fourth group of characters written with tenten has no exceptions. ịᴾ ba ị ị Ỏᴾ bi Ỏ Ỏ ốᴾ bu ố ố Ổ ᴾ be Ổ Ổ ỗᴾ bo ỗ ỗ

Try writing these words that use the fourth group of tenten characters.

1 so ba (buckwheat noodles) 2 i ke ba na (Japanese flower arranging) Ẹ ẟ Ậ ễ

3 ku bi (neck) 4 he bi (snake) 5 yu bi (finger) Ẫ ồ ỡ

6 shi n bu n (newspaper) 7 bu ta (pig) Ẳ Ữ Ữ Ẻ

8 su be te (everything) 9 ta be mo no (food) Ẵ ề Ẻ ờ ỉ

10 bo ku (I; me – used by boys) 11 bo n sa i (bonsai tree) Ẫ Ữ Ằ ẟ

The small circle, known as maru ( Ự), is exclusively used with the sounds "ha," "hi," "fu," "he," and "ho." To practice, trace the light gray characters, and then write them independently in the provided blank boxes.

In Japanese writing, a small "tsu" (っ) represents a brief silent pause, and in romaji, this is typically denoted by doubling the subsequent consonant, as outlined in Rule 3.

1 su ppa i (sour) 2 ra ppa (trumpet) Ẵ ế ẟ Ụ ế

3 e n pi tsu (pencil) 4 ha ppi (festival coat) ả Ữ ế Ị ế

5 te n pu ra (battered, deep-fried food) 6 ki ppu (ticket) ề Ữ Ụ Ẩ ế

7 pe ra pe ra (fluent; fluently) 8 shi ppo (tail of an animal) Ụ Ụ Ẳ ế

9 pe ko pe ko (very hungry) 10 po ka po ka (warm feeling) Ắ Ắ Ầ Ầ

11 ri ppa (splendid; fine) 12 ha ppa (leaf) ụ ế Ị ế

READING PRACTICE 4: TENTEN AND MARU

To enhance your reading skills in hiragana, fold the page lengthwise to focus on the hiragana words on the left Read them aloud and verify your pronunciation with the romaji on the right Continue practicing until you can confidently read all the characters This exercise will help you familiarize yourself with essential Japanese vocabulary, including terms like "hiragana," "Japanese," "time," "map," and "telephone." Regular practice will improve your fluency and comprehension in the language.

Combined Characters

In Japanese, three special hiragana characters combine with 11 consonants to create 33 additional sounds, as illustrated in the chart at the start of Section Two The characters "ya," "yu," and "yo" are represented in half-size at the bottom left corner when used in combinations Many example words feature a line above the vowel, signifying they consist of two syllables Further details on Japanese long vowels will be provided later (see Rule 4) Practice by tracing the light gray characters and completing the example words with the appropriate combined characters.

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1 kya ku (guest; customer) 2 ya kyu– (baseball) Ẫ ở ạ

3 kyo– (today) 4 kyu– ri (cucumber) ạ ạ ụ gya gyu gyo ẩ ở ẩ ỡ ẩ ợ

1 gya ku (reverse; opposite) 2 ki n gyo (goldfish) Ẫ Ẩ Ữ

3 gyu– ni ku (beef) ạ Ệ Ẫ sha shu sho Ẳ ở Ẳ ỡ Ẳ ợ

1 i sha (medical doctor) 2 shu fu (homemaker) ẟ Ố

3 sho ku do– (dining room; cafeteria) 4 ba sho (place; location) Ẫ Ễ ạ ị ja ju jo ẳ ở ẳ ỡ ẳ ợ

1 ja– ne (See you later!) 2 ju– (ten) ẝ Ỉ ạ

3 ma jo (witch) 4 ju– sho (address) ộ ạ Ẳ ợ

5 ja ma (nuisance) 6 ju– do– (judo) ộ ạ Ễ ạ cha chu cho Ẽ ở Ẽ ỡ Ẽ ợ

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3 chu– go ku (China) 4 o cha (green tea) ạ ắ Ẫ ấ ja ju jo ẽ ở ẽ ỡ ẽ ợ

The above combined characters are rarely used, and they are usually used for emphasis only. nya nyu nyo Ệ ở Ệ ỡ Ệ ợ

2 nya– (meow – cry of a cat) 3 ka nyu– (to subscribe) ẝ Ầ ạ

4 nyo ro nyo ro (slithering(ly)) Ứ Ứ

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1 hya ku (one hundred) 2 hyo– (chart; leopard) Ẫ ạ

3 hyu– hyu– (sound of howling wind) ạ ạ

4 mo ku hyo– (goal) ờ Ẫ ạ bya byu byo Ỏ ở Ỏ ỡ Ỏ ợ

1 byo– ki (sick; illness) 2 byu– n (whizzing sound of fast object) ạ Ẩ ạ Ữ

3 sa n bya ku (three hundred) Ằ Ữ Ẫ

*The character combination “myu” is only used in uncommon words not included here ỏ ở ỏ ỡ ỏ ợ

1 ha ppya ku (eight hundred) 2 pyu– (sound of powerful wind) Ị ế Ẫ ạ

4 ha ppyo– ka i (recital) Ị ế ạ Ầ ẟ mya myu* myo Ớ ở Ớ ỡ Ớ ợ

1 sa n mya ku (mountain range) Ằ Ữ Ẫ

2 ho n myo– (real name) 3 myo– (strange; unusual) Ỗ Ữ ạ ạ

5 mya ku (pulse) Ẫ rya ryu ryo ụ ở ụ ỡ ụ ợ

1 rya ku go (abbreviation) 2 ryo ko– (travel) Ẫ ắ Ắ ạ

3 ryu– ga ku (study abroad) 4 ryo– (dormitory) ạ ầ Ẫ ạ

To enhance your reading skills, practice reading the left-hand side words by folding the page or covering the right side Start by reading them aloud, then check your accuracy with the corresponding words on the right Continue this exercise until you can confidently read all the words Examples include "kya ku" (guest), "kyu–ri" (cucumber), "kyo–to" (Kyoto), and "ki n gyo" (goldfish) Other terms to familiarize yourself with are "gyu–ni ku" (beef), "gya ku" (opposite), "i sha" (doctor), and "shu fu" (homemaker) Additionally, practice with phrases like "sho ku do" (dining room), "ma jo" (witch), "jan ken pon" (rock-paper-scissors), "ju–sho" (address), and "o mo cha" (toys).

This article presents essential Japanese vocabulary for beginners, focusing on words and phrases that are commonly used Key terms include "cho" (butterfly), "gyu nyu" (cows' milk), and "hya ku" (hundred) It also covers "hyo" (chart; leopard), "byo ki" (sick; sickness), and "sa n bya ku" (three hundred) Other notable words include "myo" (strange; unusual), "ryo" (dormitory), and "ryu ga ku" (study abroad) These foundational terms provide a stepping stone for learners to enhance their understanding of the Japanese language.

Small “tsu”

The small “tsu” (Ế) represents a brief silent pause in pronunciation and is typically denoted in romaji by doubling the following consonant, except for the consonant “ch,” where it is indicated by adding a “t,” as seen in “dotchi” (ỄẾẼ), meaning "which one; which way." Additionally, a small “tsu” can appear at the end of a phrase or sentence to convey abruptness, anger, or surprise, pronounced with a glottal stop that halts airflow by closing the throat It is visually represented in the bottom left corner, similar to small “ya,” “yu,” and “yo.” Practice by tracing the light gray characters and filling in the small “tsu” in the designated blank boxes.

Example of regular-sized “tsu” ế Example ofsmall “tsu” ế

1 ga kko– (school) 2 a sa tte (day after tomorrow) ầ Ắ ạ ẝ Ằ ề

3 ki ssa te n (coffee shop) 4 ki tte (stamp) Ẩ Ằ ề Ữ Ẩ ề

5 ki ppu (ticket) 6 ma ssu gu (straight) Ẩ Ồ ộ Ẵ ẫ

To improve your pronunciation of the small "tsu" in Japanese, remember to treat it as a brief silent pause Refer to the phonetic guide for assistance Practice phrases such as "ta tte ku da sa i" (Please stand!) and numbers like "mi ttsu" (three things) and "yo ttsu" (four things) Familiarize yourself with expressions like "i ssa i" (one year old) and "ha ssa i" (eight years old) to enhance your conversational skills Use phrases like "ka tta" (I won) and "o mo shi ro ka tta" (That was fun) to express excitement When entering stores, greet with "i ra ssha i ma se" (Welcome!) Lastly, navigate directions with "ma ssu gu" (straight) and practice saying "i tte ku da sa i" (Please say it) for improved communication.

Long Vowels

In romaji, long vowels are marked with a line above the vowel, except for "i," which is represented by doubling the letter Writing long vowels in hiragana is straightforward; you simply add one of the five Japanese vowels: ẝ, ẟ, ạ, ả, or ấ Understanding this distinction is essential for accurate pronunciation and writing in Japanese.

Long “e”* ấ Ỉ ả Ằ Ữ o ne– sa n (older sister)

In most cases, the character ẟ represents the long ả sound, similar to the "e" in "red." It is important to pronounce ẟ distinctly after a character with the ả vowel sound This can be confusing initially, as romaji typically uses "I" to denote this sound, reflecting the hiragana spelling rather than the actual pronunciation.

せんせい se n se i (se n se–) (teacher)

えいが e i ga (e– ga) (movie)

とけい to ke i (to ke–) (clock)

Likewise, a long vowel お (“o” as in old) is made by adding う (“u” as in youth) This book consistently uses a line above the “o” to indicate the long vowel in romaji.

さようなら sa yo– na ra (goodbye)

ありがとう a ri ga to– (thank you)

もういちど mo– i chi do (one more time)

Practice reading the following words with long vowels by covering the right side of the page to focus on the hiragana Use the phonetic guide on the right to check your pronunciation If you encounter difficulties, revisit Rule 4 for clarification.

おいしい o i shi i (delicious)

おかあさん o ka– sa n (mother)

とうきょう to– kyo– (Tokyo; capital of Japan)

おおきい o– ki i (big)

きゅう kyu– (nine)

きいろ ki i ro (yellow)

きれい ki re i (pretty)

ひこうき hi ko– ki (airplane)

おにいさん o ni i sa n (big brother)

おはよう o ha yo– (good morning)

おねえさん o ne– sa n (big sister)

ほんしゅう ho n shu– (Honshu- – island of Japan)

おとうさん o to– sa n (dad)

きょう kyo– (today)

ちいさい chi i sa i (small)

おとうと o to– to (little brother)

よねんせい yo ne n se i (fourth grader; senior)

In this article, we explore essential Japanese vocabulary and phrases for beginners Key terms include "ju" (ten), "ke" (clock), and "a ri ga to" (thank you) Additionally, we introduce family-related words such as "o ba san" (grandmother) and "o ji san" (grandfather), as well as common expressions like "ja ne" (see you later) and "ga kko" (school) Understanding these foundational words enhances your ability to communicate effectively in Japanese.

Sentence Particles “wa,” “e” and “o”

Japanese employs small grammatical words known as "particles" to clarify the relationships between words in a sentence Typically consisting of one or two hiragana characters, these particles indicate various elements such as the topic, subject, object, location, and direction Importantly, particles are positioned directly after the words they modify One key example is the topic particle "wa," which plays a crucial role in sentence structure.

When used as a “topic” particle, Ị is pronounced “wa” instead of “ha.”

Examples: Trace the light gray characters and then write the particle “wa” in the blank box

In Japanese writing, a period is represented by a small circle located in the bottom left corner of its box After composing each sentence, make sure to practice reading it aloud, paying special attention to the correct pronunciation of the particles.

A) I am a (college) student. watashi wa gakusei desu

(I, me) (topic) (student) (am, are) ᴾ ỪẺẲᴾ ᴾầẪẶẟẅỂẴẇ

B) What is your telephone number? o denwa bango– wa nan desu ka

(honorific) (phone number) (topic) (what) (is, are) (question particle) ᴾ ấỂỮỪịỮắạᴾ ᴾễỮᴾỂẴẦẇ

Jpn Hira&Kata for Beg.indd 81 1/24/11 4:59:34 PM 1/24/11 4:59:34 PM ồ When used as a “direction” particle, ồ is pronounced like ả (“e” as in red).

A) We are going to Peace Park (Hiroshima). watashi-tachi wa heiwa-ko– en e ikimasu

(we) (topic) (Peace Park) (direction particle) (will go) ᴾ ỪẺẲẺẼᴾỊᴾồẟỪẮạảỮᴾ ᴾẟẨ ᴾ ộᴾẴẇ

B) Please turn right. migi e magatte kudasai

(right) (direction) (to turn) (please) ᴾ Ớẩᴾ ᴾộầẾềᴾẪẻẰẟẇẅ ử “o” The Object Particle:

The character ử is only used as a particle to mark the “object” of a sentence and it is pronounced like ấ (“o” as in old).

A) I saw Mount Fuji. watashi wa fuji san o mimashita

(I; me) (topic) (Mount Fuji) (object) (saw) ᴾ ỪẺẲᴾỊᴾỐẳẰỮᴾ ᴾỚộẲẺẇ

B) I ate sushi yesterday. kino– watashi wa sushi o tabemashita

(yesterday) (I; me) (topic) (sushi) (object) (ate) ᴾ ẨỉạᴾỪẺẲᴾỊᴾẴẲᴾ ᴾẺỔộẲẺẇ

READING PRACTICE 8: PARTICLES “wa,” “e” AND “o”

You can now read sentences that include the particles “wa,” “e,” and “o.” Attempt to read these sentences without referring to the phonetic guides provided Once you finish, check your pronunciation and consider repeating this exercise to enhance your accuracy and fluency.

1 sen shu– wa fuyu yasumi deshita Last week was winter break.

2 watashi wa tomodachi no uchi e ikimashita I went to a friend’s house.

3 eiga o mimashita (We) saw a movie.

4 tomodachi wa mainichi okashi o tabemasu My friend eats snacks everyday.

5 raishu– haisha e ikimasu (My friend) is going to the dentist next week.

6 tomodachi wa haisha ga kirai desu My friend hates the dentist.

7 haru yasumi wa itsu desu ka When is spring vacation?

8 doko e ikimasu ka Where will you go?

9 nani o shimasu ka What will you do?

10 watashi wa rainen nihon e ryu–gaku shimasu I will study abroad in Japan next year.

11 nihongo o benkyo– shimasu (I) will study Japanese.

Commonly Mistaken Hiragana Commonly Mistaken Combined Characters

Map of Japan Family Members Daily Expressions Numbers Parts of the Body Weather Places at School

At the Department Store Japanese Foods Japanese Lunch Kiosk

Circle the correct hiragana character. i Ậᴾ Ắᴾ ụᴾ ẟᴾ Ẩᴾ ộᴾ ờ

1 ku Ẳᴾ Ẫᴾ ếᴾ ềᴾ Ữᴾ ồᴾ ả

2 a ấᴾ ệᴾ ỡᴾ Ừᴾ ẝᴾ Ờᴾ Ỉ

3 sa ợᴾ Ẩᴾ ửᴾ Ẽᴾ Ặᴾ Ậᴾ Ằ

4 ta Ẻᴾ ễᴾ Ằᴾ Ịᴾ ờᴾ Ắᴾ ẟ

5 nu ẝᴾ Ờᴾ Ừᴾ ệᴾ ấᴾ ễᴾ ộ

6 ne ủᴾ Ỉᴾ Ừᴾ ẝᴾ ấᴾ ỡᴾ ỉ

7 wa Ỉᴾ ẝᴾ ủᴾ Ờᴾ ệᴾ Ừᴾ ế

8 ma ờᴾ Ẩᴾ ộᴾ Ệᴾ Ắᴾ Ẻᴾ Ỗ

9 su ớᴾ Ủᴾ ệᴾ Ẵᴾ Ớᴾ Ỉᴾ ộ

10 ri ẟᴾ ụᴾ Ắᴾ Ụᴾ ạᴾ Ẹᴾ ả

11 ra ạᴾ ảᴾ ớᴾ Ụᴾ ấᴾ ởᴾ ễ

12 ke ẟᴾ Ệᴾ ụᴾ Ỗᴾ Ịᴾ Ặᴾ Ậ

13 so Ứᴾ ểᴾ ềᴾ Ắᴾ ảᴾ Ẹᴾ Ữ

14 tsu ᴾ ềᴾ ạᴾ Ụᴾ ếᴾ Ờᴾ Ừᴾ Ẽ

15 ni Ắᴾ ẟᴾ ụᴾ Ẻᴾ Ệᴾ Ỗᴾ Ị

16 ha Ỗᴾ Ậᴾ Ịᴾ Ệᴾ ễᴾ ờᴾ ộ

17 ya Ầᴾ ễᴾ ếᴾ ạᴾ ởᴾ Ụᴾ Ờ

Circle the correct hiragana character. ko Ỗᴾ ẟᴾ Ệᴾ Ẻᴾ Ắᴾ ờᴾ ụ

1 shi Ẳᴾ ếᴾ ồᴾ Ẫᴾ Ữᴾ ềᴾ ể

2 o ởᴾ ễᴾ ấᴾ Ờᴾ ẝᴾ Ỉᴾ ệ

3 ki Ằᴾ ợᴾ ửᴾ Ẽᴾ ộᴾ ờᴾ Ẩ

4 na Ẻᴾ ễᴾ Ẩᴾ Ịᴾ Ỗᴾ ờᴾ ợ

5 me ệᴾ ấᴾ ẝᴾ ỡᴾ Ừᴾ Ờᴾ Ỉ

6 re ệᴾ Ẹᴾ Ừᴾ Ỉᴾ ủᴾ ẝᴾ ế

7 ro Ứᴾ Ẹᴾ Ủᴾ ửᴾ ợᴾ ểᴾ ả

8 ho Ịᴾ ộᴾ Ẩᴾ Ỗᴾ Ằᴾ Ắᴾ Ẻ

9 mu Ẵᴾ ớᴾ Ớᴾ ộᴾ Ỉᴾ ệᴾ Ủ

10 ru Ứᴾ Ẹᴾ ểᴾ ợᴾ ớᴾ Ẵᴾ Ủ

11 u Ụᴾ ảᴾ ởᴾ ạᴾ ấᴾ ớᴾ ễ

12 se Ịᴾ Ậᴾ Ệᴾ Ẻᴾ Ịᴾ Ặᴾ ụ

13 chi Ằᴾ ếᴾ Ẻᴾ Ứᴾ Ẽᴾ ửᴾ Ẹ

14 te Ẹᴾ Ẫᴾ ềᴾ Ẳᴾ ếᴾ ồᴾ Ữ

15 no ỉᴾ ềᴾ ẝᴾ ệᴾ Ờᴾ ếᴾ ạ

16 mo ộᴾ Ẩᴾ ờᴾ Ỗᴾ Ậᴾ Ịᴾ Ẳ

17 e Ữᴾ Ẩᴾ ạᴾ Ụᴾ ủᴾ ảᴾ Ẹ

Circle the correct combined character. gyo ẨỢᴾ ẳỢᴾ ẩỢᴾ ỎỢ

1 shu ẲỞᴾ ẲỠᴾ ẳỠᴾ ẼỠ

2 cho ẼỞᴾ ẽỞᴾ ẲỢᴾ ẼỢ

3 myu ỚỠᴾ ỚỢᴾ ỚỞᴾ ẼỠ

4 bya ỏỞᴾ ọỞᴾ ỎỞᴾ ỎỢ

5 gyu ẩỞᴾ ẨỠᴾ ẨỢᴾ ẩỠ

6 nya ỆỠᴾ ỆỞᴾ ụỞᴾ ỆỢ

7 rya ụỞᴾ ỆỢᴾ ụỠᴾ ụỢ

8 pyu ỏỞᴾ ọỠᴾ ỏỢᴾ ỏỠ

9 jo ẳỞᴾ ẲỢᴾ ẳỢᴾ ẳỠ

10 kya ẩỞᴾ ẨỠᴾ ẨỢᴾ ẨỞ

11 hyo ọỠᴾ ọỢᴾ ỏỢᴾ ỎỢ

12 pyo ọỢᴾ ỏỢᴾ ỎỢᴾ ỏỠ

13 kyu ẨỞᴾ ẩỠᴾ ẨỠᴾ ẨỢ

14 sho ẲỠᴾ ẳỠᴾ ẲỢᴾ ẳỢ

15 byo ọỢᴾ ỎỠᴾ ỏỢᴾ ỎỢ

Circle the correct combined character. kyo ỎỢᴾ ẩỢᴾ ẨỠᴾ ẨỢ

1 ju ẲỠᴾ ẳỠᴾ ẳỞᴾ ẳỢ

2 nyo ỆỢᴾ ỆỠᴾ ụỠᴾ ẼỠ

3 nyu ỆỠᴾ ỆỞᴾ ỆỢᴾ ụỠ

4 hya ọỠᴾ ỚỠᴾ ụỠᴾ ọỞ

5 myo ỚỞᴾ ụỢᴾ ỚỢᴾ ẼỢ

6 byu ỎỠᴾ ỏỠᴾ ọỠᴾ ẨỠ

7 ryo ụỞᴾ ụỢᴾ ỏỢᴾ ụỠ

8 hyu ỏỠᴾ ọỞᴾ ỎỠᴾ ọỠ

9 chu ẼỞᴾ ẲỠᴾ ẼỠᴾ ẲỞ

10 ja ẲỞᴾ ẳỞᴾ ẲỠᴾ ẳỠ

11 cha ẲỞᴾ ẼỠᴾ ẼỞᴾ ẼỢ

12 ryu ụỠᴾ ụỞᴾ ẼỞᴾ ụỢ

13 gya ẩỞᴾ ẲỠᴾ ẲỞᴾ ẩỠ

14 sha ẲỠᴾ ẲỞᴾ ẳỞᴾ ẳỠ

15 pya ỏỠᴾ ỎỞᴾ ỏỞᴾ ọỞ

1 Hokkaido (ho kka i do–) Japan (ni ho n)

4 Kyushu (kyu– shu–) North (ki ta)

7 Aomori (a o mo ri) 8 Sendai (se n da i)

9 Nagano (na ga no) 10 Tokyo – capital (to– kyo–) 11 Yokohama (yo ko ha ma)

12 Nagoya (na go ya) 13 Kobe (ko– be) 14 Kyoto (kyo– to)

15 Osaka (o– sa ka) 16 Hiroshima (hi ro shi ma) 17 Fukuoka (fu ku o ka)

1 I; myself – only boys (bo ku) 2 grandfather (o ji i sa n)

3 I; myself (wa ta shi) 4 grandmother (o ba– sa n)

5 younger sister (i mo– to) 6 father (o to– sa n)

7 younger brother (o to– to) 8 mother (o ka– sa n)

9 uncle (o ji sa n) 10 older brother (o ni i sa n)

11 aunt (o ba sa n) 12 older sister (o ne– sa n)

1 Excuse me (su mi ma se n)

2 Hello!; Good afternoon! (ko n ni chi wa*)

4 How are you? (o ge n ki de su ka)

5 Good night! (o ya su mi na sa i)

6 I’m sorry (go me n na sa i)

10 You’re welcome! (do– i ta shi ma shi te)

3 Good evening! (ko n ba n wa*)

4 Good morning! (o ha yo– go za i ma su)

7 I’m fine (ge n ki de su)

8 Goodbye! (sa yo– na ra)

9 Thank you (a ri ga to– go za i ma su)

You’re welcome! (do– i ta shi mas hi te)

Sounds like “Don’t touch my mustache!”

Read the numbers in hiragana and connect them in the chart below What do you see in the picture?

I'm sorry, but the content you provided appears to be a sequence of characters that does not form coherent sentences or paragraphs in any recognizable language If you have a different article or specific content that needs rewriting, please share that, and I'd be happy to help!

1 head (a ta ma) 2 shoulders (ka ta) 3 knees (hi za) 4 legs; feet (a shi)

5 hands (te) 6 eyes (me) 7 ears (mi mi)

8 mouth (ku chi) 9 nose (ha na)

10 hair (ka mi) 11 stomach (o na ka)

12 back (se na ka) 13 face (ka o)

14 teeth (ha) 15 throat (no do)

16 neck (ku bi) 17 wrist (te ku bi)

18 ankle (a shi ku bi) 19 chest (mu ne)

20 arm (u de) 21 finger (yu bi)

22 fingernail (tsu me) 23 elbow (hi ji) 24 body (ka ra da)

In exploring common expressions that utilize body vocabulary, we find intriguing phrases that convey various meanings For instance, the term "smart" translates to ẝẺộẅầẅầẟ, meaning "head is good," while "dumb" is expressed as ẝẺộẅầẅỪỦẟ, or "head is bad." Additionally, poor hearing is referred to as ỚỚẅầẅểấẟ, meaning "ears are far," and bad eyesight is denoted by ỜẅầẅỪỦẟ, translating to "eyes are bad." Expressions for hunger and thirst are also notable, with hunger described as ấễẦẅầẅẴẟẺ, meaning "stomach became empty," and thirst as ỉỄẅầẅẦỪẟẺ, which translates to "throat became dry." These phrases not only reflect physical states but also illustrate cultural nuances in language.

1 weather (te n ki) 2 clear; fine (ha re) 3 rain (a me)

4 cloudy (ku mo ri) 5 snow (yu ki) 6 storm (a ra shi)

7 windy (ka ze ga tsu yo i) 8 hot (a tsu i) 9 cold (sa mu i)

Describe today’s weather as in the example below.

Today’s weather is clear ẨỢạ ỉ ềỮẨ Ị Ịủ ỂẴẇ

Today ‘s weather “topic” particle fine is; am; are

For a month, track the daily weather by writing the corresponding weather terms in hiragana on the provided calendar Each time you document the weather, make an effort to describe it in Japanese.

(date) (date) (date) (date) (date) (date) (date)

Jpn Hira&Kata for Beg.indd 92 1/24/11 4:59:37 PM 1/24/11 4:59:37 PM ࠷ ݱ ɶ ᭗

2 elementary school (sho– ga kko–)

3 junior high school (chu– ga kko–)

7 health center (ho ke n shi tsu)

8 library (to sho shi tsu) ٻ

13 To which places do students usually bring books (please circle any that apply)? ẨỢạẲếᴾ ỖẬỮẲếᴾ ểẲỢẲếᴾ ẺẟẟẪẦỮ

14 Which schools come after Jr High School (please circle any that apply)? ẻẟầẪᴾ ẲỢạầẾẮạᴾ ẮạẮạᴾ ợạẼảỮ

15 Which places are usually found indoors (please circle any that apply)? ểẲỢẲếᴾ ỖẬỮẲếᴾ ạỮỄạẳỢạᴾ ấỮầẪẲế

*Japanese students (except university students) generally eat lunch in the classroom.

13 Which objects could you fit into a backpack (circle any that apply)? ẦỚᴾ ỉụᴾ ẟẴᴾ ỖỮᴾ ảỮỏếᴾ ếẪả

14 Which objects are too big to fit into a desk (circle any that apply)? ẟẴᴾ ỊẰỚᴾ ộỄᴾ ẳỢạẩᴾ ỉụᴾ ỂỮẨ

15 Which objects require electricity/batteries (circle any that apply)? ểẬẟᴾ ộỄᴾ ỂỮẺẪᴾ ảỮỏếᴾ ỂỮẨᴾ ỉụ

Write in English and Japanese the appropriate floor of each item.

10 gloves (te bu ku ro) _

しょくひん

10th floor (ju kka i or ji kkai)

8th floor (ha chi ka i)

7th floor (na na ka i)

Basement 1st floor (chi ka i kka i)

Jpn Hira&Kata for Beg.indd 95 2/13/12 11:24:20 AM 2/13/12 11:24:20 AM

1 rice (go ha n) 2 riceballs (o ni gi ri) 3 box lunch (o be n to–)

4 sushi (su shi) 5 sliced raw fish (sa shi mi) 6 thick white noodles (u do n)

7 buckwheat noodles (so ba) 8 chilled soba (za ru so ba) 9 fried noodles (ya ki so ba)

10 roasted chicken and vegetable kabob (ya ki to ri)

11 battered and deep-fried seafood and vegetables (te n pu ra)

12 roasted sweet potato (ya ki i mo)

Please read the menu carefully and respond to the questions below The menu includes various dishes with corresponding prices, such as item 130 priced at 300, item 200 at 400, and item 350 at 200 Additionally, there are items priced at 350, 200, and 400, among others, with the highest price being 750 for a specific dish Make sure to note the details for accurate responses.

Tell the price of the following lunch menu items.

Example: tempura box lunch (te n pu ra be n to–)? 750 ảỮ

1 How much is the sushi box lunch (su shi be n to–)? _

2 How much is a rice ball (o ni gi ri)? _

3 How much are the soba – buckwheat noodles (so ba)? _

4 How much are the yakitori – roasted chicken and vegetables on a stick (ya ki to ri)? _

5 How much is rice (go ha n)? _

6 What would you pay for green tea (o cha) and yakisoba – fried noodles (ya ki so ba)?

7 What would you pay for water (mi zu) and a teriyaki box lunch (te ri ya ki be n to–)?

8 What would you pay for milk (gyu– nyu–) and chilled soba noodles (za ru so ba)?

Animals are generally found in one of three environments: 1 as a pet, 2 in the wild or zoo, or

3 on a farm Write the name of each animal in hiragana in an appropriate category below

Snake (he bi) Bear (ku ma)

Dog (i nu) Pig (bu ta)

Bird (to ri) Horse (u ma)

Giraffe (ki ri n) Goldfish (ki n gyo)

Rabbit (u sa gi) Cat (ne ko)

Chicken (ni wa to ri) Fox (ki tsu ne)

Monkey (sa ru) Alligator (wa ni)

Turtle (ka me) Deer (shi ka)

Tiger (to ra) Frog (ka e ru)

Sheep (hi tsu ji) Squirrel (ri su)

Commonly Mistaken Hiragana (page 85) Part A1 Ẫ 2 ẝ 3 Ằ 4 Ẻ 5 ệ 6 Ỉ

Commonly Mistaken Combined Characters (page 86) Part A 1 ẲỠ 2 ẼỢ 3 ỚỠ

4 ỎỞ 5 ẩỠ 6 ỆỞ 7 ụỞ 8 ỏỠ 9 ẳỢ 10 ẨỞ 11 ọỢ 12 ỏỢ 13 ẨỠ

14 ẲỢ 15 ỎỢ Part B 1 ẳỠ 2 ỆỢ 3 ỆỠ 4 ọỞ 5 ỚỢ 6 ỎỠ 7 ụỢ 8 ọỠ

9 ẼỠ 10 ẳỞ 11 ẼỞ 12 ụỠ 13 ẩỞ 14 ẲỞ 15 ỏỞ

Map of Japan (page 87) ỆỖỮ (Japan), ẨẺ (North) 1 ỖẾẦẟỄạ 2 ỖỮẲỠạ

3 ẲẮẪ 4 ẨỠạẲỠạ 5 ấẨễỪ 6 ẰẾỘỨ 7 ẝấờụ 8 ẶỮẻẟ 9 ễầỉ 10 ểạẨỢạ

11 ợẮỊộ 12 ễắở 13 ẮạỔ 14 ẨỢạể 15 ấấẰẦ 16 ọỨẲộ 17 ỐẪấẦ

Family Members (page 88) 1 ỗẪ 2 ấẳẟẰỮ 3 ỪẺẲ 4 ấịẝẰỮ 5 ẟờạể

6 ấểạẰỮ 7 ấểạể 8 ấẦẝẰỮ 9 ấẳẰỮ 10 ấỆẟẰỮ 11 ấịẰỮ 12 ấỈảẰỮ

Daily Expressions (page 89) DOWN 1 ẴỚộẶỮ 2 ẮỮỆẼỊ 4 ấậỮẨỂẴẦ 5 ấởẴỚễẰẟ 6 ắỜỮễẰẟ 10 ỄạẟẺẲộẲề 11 ẟẟả ACROSS 3 ẮỮịỮỊ

4 ấỊợạắằẟộẴ 7 ậỮẨỂẴ 8 ẰợạễỤ 9 ẝụầểạắằẟộẴ 12 Ịẟ

92ḵ 83 ḵ 73 ḵ 74 ḵ 75 ḵ 84 ḵ 94 ḵ 85 ḵ 75 ḵ 76 ḵ 67 ḵ 57 ḵ 47 ḵ 37 ḵ 28 ḵ 39 ḵ 30 ḵ 20 ḵ9 Finished! (Pictured: Map of Japan)

Parts of the Body (page 91) 1 ẝẺộ 2 ẦẺ 3 ọằ 4 ẝẲ 5 ề 6 Ờ 7 ỚỚ

8 ẪẼ 9 Ịễ 10 ẦỚ 11 ấễẦ 12 ẶễẦ 13 Ầấ 14 Ị 15 ỉỄ 16 ẪỎ 17 ềẪỎ

18 ẝẲẪỎ 19 ớỈ 20 ạỂ 21 ỡỎ 22 ếỜ 23 ọẳ 24 ẦỤẻ ᴾ

Weather (page 92) 1 ềỮẨ 2 Ịủ 3 ẝỜ 4 Ẫờụ 5 ỡẨ 6 ẝỤẲ 7 Ầặầếợẟ

Places at School (page 93) 1 ợạẼảỮ 2 ẲỢạầẾẮạ 3 ẼỠạầẾẮạ 4 ẮạẮạ

5 ẻẟầẪ 6 ẨỢạẲế 7 ỖẬỮẲế 8 ểẲỢẲế 9 ấỮầẪẲế 10 ẲỢẪỄạ

11 ạỮỄạẳỢạ 12 ẺẟẟẪẦỮ 13 ẨỢạẲếẆểẲỢẲế 14 ẻẟầẪẆẮạẮạ 15 ểẲỢ ẲếẆỖẬỮẲếẆấỮầẪẲế

In the Classroom (page 94) 1 ảỮỏế 2 ẦỚ 3 ỊẰỚ 4 ỖỮ 5 ỉụ 6 ẟẴ

7 ếẪả 8 ẳỢạẩ 9 ỂỮẺẪ 10 ộỄ 11 ỂỮẨ 12 ểẬẟ 13 ẦỚẆỉụẆỖỮẆảỮ ỏế 14 ẟẴẆộỄẆỂỮẨ 15 ểẬẟẆỂỮẺẪẆỂỮẨ

At the Department Store (page 95) 1 (6th)ᴾ ỨẾẦẟ 2 (10th) ẳỠẾẦẟ or ᴾᴾ ẳẾẦẟ

3 (4th) ợỮẦẟ 4 (9th) ẨỠạẦẟ 5 (B1) ẼẦẟẾẦẟ 6 (1st) ẟẾẦẟ 7 (7th) ễễẦẟ

8 (2nd) ỆẦẟ 9 (5th) ắẦẟ 10 (3rd) ẰỮầẟ

Japanese Foods (page 96) 1 ắỊỮ 2 ấỆẩụ 3 ấỔỮểạ 4 ẴẲ 5 ẰẲỚ 6 ạỄỮ

7 Ẹị 8 ằỦẸị 9 ởẨẸị 10 ởẨểụ 11 ềỮỒỤ 12 ởẨẟờ

Japanese Lunch Kiosk (page 97) 1 500 ảỮ 2 130 ảỮ 3 350 ảỮ 4 400 ảỮ 5 200 ảỮ 6 600 ảỮ 7 650 ảỮ 8 550 ảỮ

Animals (page 98) Pets ί ẟệẆểụẆẦỜẆẨỮẩỢẆỈẮẆẦảỦ ὸ Zoo ί ồỎẆẨụỮẆẰỦẆ ểỤẆẪộẆẹạẆẨếỈẆỪỆẆẲẦẆụẴ ὸ Farm ί ạẲẆạẰẩẆỆỪểụẆọếẳẆốẺẆạộ ὸ

This article provides a comprehensive guide to the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana syllabaries, essential for beginners learning the language It includes a list of characters, such as vowels like "a," "i," "u," "e," and "o," as well as consonant combinations like "ka," "ki," "ku," "ke," and "ko." The text further explores other syllables including "sa," "shi," "su," "se," "so," and more, covering various sounds such as "ta," "chi," "tsu," "te," and "to." Additionally, it introduces the "ha," "hi," "fu," "he," and "ho" sounds, along with other characters like "ma," "mi," "mu," "me," and "mo." The guide also touches on the "ya," "yu," and "yo" syllables, concluding with "ra," "ri," "ru," "re," and "ro." This foundational knowledge is crucial for anyone starting their journey in mastering Japanese writing systems.

* These characters are pronounced differently when they are used as grammatical particles.

** This character is only used as a grammatical particle It is not used to write words.

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best

“AAAaaa!” cried the critter as he fell off the edge of the cliff. Ỵ“a” as in father

Writing Tip “a” has two strokes and both are brushes. ᴾỴᴾỴᴾỴᴾỴᴾỴᴾỴᴾỴᴾỴ

1 a me ri ka (America; United States) 2 su ko a (score) ἳ Ἴ ỽ Ἃ ἅ

3 e a ko n (air conditioner; air conditioning) 4 a– to (art) Ỻ ἅ ὅ Ὂ Ἒ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best Ỷ

“i” as in easy An easel holds your picture while you work on it or display it. Ỷ

Writing Tip “i” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop. ᴾỶᴾ Ỷᴾ Ỷᴾ Ỷᴾ Ỷᴾ Ỷᴾ Ỷᴾ Ỷ

1 to i re (toilet) 2 a i ro n (iron) Ἒ Ἶ Ỵ Ἷ ὅ

3 na i fu (knife) 4 i gi ri su (England) Ἔ ἧ ἀ Ἴ Ἃ

“Oooo!” The water balloon was cold as it splashed on his back! Ỹ“u” as in you

Writing Tip “u” has three strokes: 1) a stop, 2) stop and 3) brush. ᴾỸᴾỸᴾỸᴾỸᴾỸᴾỸᴾỸᴾỸ

1 u i ru su ((computer) virus) 2 ki u i (kiwi) Ỷ Ἵ Ἃ ỿ Ỷ

3 ma u su ((computer) mouse) 4 u– ru (wool) ἰ Ἃ Ὂ Ἵ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best Ỻ

“e” as in red elevator doors Ỻ

Writing Tip “e” has three strokes and they are all stops. ᴾỺᴾỺᴾỺᴾỺᴾỺᴾỺᴾỺᴾỺ

1 u e– ta– (waiter) 2 e ra– ((computer) error) Ỹ Ὂ ἑ Ὂ Ἳ Ὂ

3 e su sa i zu (small; “S” size) 4 e i zu (AIDS) Ἃ ἇ Ỷ Ἄ Ỷ Ἄ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best an Olympic figure skater Ỽ“o” as in oak

Writing Tip “o” has three strokes: 1) a stop, 2) jump and 3) brush. ᴾỼᴾỼᴾỼᴾỼᴾỼᴾỼᴾỼᴾỼ Ỽ

1 o re n ji (orange) 2 ta o ru (towel) Ἶ ὅ Ἂ ἑ Ἵ

3 o ru gan (organ – musical instrument) 4 o i ru (oil) Ἵ Ỿ ὅ Ỷ Ἵ

Writing Tip “ka” has two strokes: 1) a jump and 2) brush ᴾỽᴾỽᴾỽᴾỽᴾỽᴾỽᴾỽᴾỽ ỽ Ầ

Katakana “ka” ỽ and hiragana “ ka ” Ầ look alike, except that katakana “ka” has one fewer stroke, and its lines are straighter and more angular.

1 ka me ra (camera) 2 ka ra o ke (karaoke) ἳ Ἳ Ἳ Ỽ ἃ

3 ka ta ka na (katakana characters) 4 ka na da (Canada) ἑ Ἔ Ἔ ἒ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best ỿ“ki” as in key ỿẨ

Writing Tip “ki” has three strokes and they are all stops. ᴾỿᴾỿᴾỿᴾỿᴾỿᴾỿᴾỿᴾỿ

Katakana “ki” ỿ and hiragana “ ki ” Ẩ look alike, except that katakana “ki” has one fewer stroke, and it does not have a “jump” stroke.

1 su te– ki (steak) 2 me ki shi ko (Mexico) Ἃ Ἐ Ὂ ἳ Ἁ ἅ

3 ho chi ki su (stapler – Hotchkiss) 4 su ki i (ski; skiing) Ἥ ἓ Ἃ Ἃ Ὂ

“ku” as in cuckoo a cool way to write seven (7) ἁ

Writing Tip “ku” has two strokes and both are brushes. ᴾἁᴾ ἁᴾ ἁᴾ ἁᴾ ἁᴾ ἁᴾ ἁᴾ ἁ ἁ 7

1 pi n ku (pink) 2 ku ra su (class) ἦ ὅ Ἳ Ἃ

3 ta ku shi i (taxi) 4 ba i ku (motorcycle) ἑ Ἁ Ὂ ἢ Ỷ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best ἃ a kangaroo ἃ“ke” as in Kevin

Writing Tip “ke” has three strokes: 1) a brush, 2) stop and 3) brush. ᴾἃᴾἃᴾἃᴾἃᴾἃᴾἃᴾἃᴾἃ

1 su ke bo– (skateboard; to skateboard) 2 ke– ki (cake) Ἃ Ἦ Ὂ Ὂ ỿ

3 su ke– to (skates; to skate) 4 ke ni a (Kenya) Ἃ Ὂ Ἒ Ἕ Ỵ

“ko” as in cocoa a cup of hot cocoa ἅ

Writing Tip “ko” has two strokes and both are stops. ᴾἅᴾ ἅᴾ ἅᴾ ἅᴾ ἅᴾ ἅᴾ ἅᴾ ἅ ἅ

1 ko n sa– to (concert) 2 ko– chi (coach) ὅ ἇ Ὂ Ἒ Ὂ ἓ

3 ko– hii (coffee) 4 ko– to (coat; (tennis) court) Ὂ ἤ Ὂ Ὂ Ἒ

A sawhorse holds wood while you cut it. ἇ“sa” as in saw

Writing Tip “sa” has three strokes: 1) a stop, 2) stop and 3) brush. ᴾἇᴾἇᴾἇᴾἇᴾἇᴾἇᴾἇᴾἇ ἇ

1 sa i n (signature; autograph) 2 sa– ka su (circus) Ỷ ὅ Ὂ ỽ Ἃ

3 sa– chi (search) 4 sa n da ru (sandals) Ὂ ἓ ὅ ἒ Ἵ

Writing Tip “shi” has three strokes: 1) a stop, 2) stop and 3) brush. ᴾἉᴾ Ἁᴾ Ἁᴾ Ἁᴾ Ἁᴾ Ἁᴾ Ἁᴾ Ἁ

She tilted her head and smiled. Ἁ 2 3

1 shi ri a (Syria) 2 mi shi n (sewing machine) Ἴ Ỵ ἱ ὅ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best Ἃ

Writing Tip “su” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop. ᴾἋᴾἋᴾἋᴾἋᴾἋᴾἋᴾἋᴾἋ

It’s Superman er, super-critter. Ἃ“su” as in super

1 su ka– to (skirt) 2 su te re o (stereo) ỽ Ὂ Ἒ Ἐ Ἶ Ỽ

3 ku ri su ma su (Christmas) 4 ki su (kiss) ἁ Ἴ ἰ ỿ

Writing Tip “se” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop. ᴾἍᴾἍᴾἍᴾἍᴾἍᴾἍᴾἍᴾἍ Ἅ Ặ

Katakana “se” and hiragana “ se ” look a little alike.

1 se– ta– (sweater) 2 se– ru (sale) Ὂ ἑ Ὂ Ὂ Ἵ

3 se ro ri (celery) 4 se i ko– (Seiko watch corporation) Ἷ Ἴ Ỷ ἅ Ὂ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best Ἇ“so” as in so

Writing Tip “so” has two strokes: 1) a stop and 2) brush. ᴾἏᴾ Ἇᴾ Ἇᴾ Ἇᴾ Ἇᴾ Ἇᴾ Ἇᴾ Ἇ

A kid (goat) got into a fight after school, and he got an eye knocked out! The next day when other kids (goats) pointed and said,

“You’ve only got one eye,” he said, “So!”

1 shi i so– (seesaw) 2 so fa (sofa) Ἁ Ὂ Ὂ ἧ ỳ

3 so u ru (Seoul, Korea; soul) 4 so– da (soda) Ỹ Ἵ Ὂ ἒ

To enhance your katakana reading skills, fold the page lengthwise or cover it with your hand, revealing only the katakana words on the left side Practice reading these words aloud, then verify your accuracy by checking the corresponding English words on the right Continue this exercise until you can confidently read all the katakana For an added challenge, attempt to read the Japanese words and say the English translations before checking your answers.

In katakana, long vowels are represented by a line called bo–, making katakana simpler than hiragana To enhance your pronunciation, it is essential to articulate long vowels with about double the duration of a single syllable For instance, words like "ice" (a i su), "score" (su ko a), and "access" (a ku se su) showcase this feature Other examples include "squid" (i ka), "rhino" (sa i), and "kiwi" (ki u i) Additionally, terms like "the Oscar" (o su ka–), "oasis" (o a shi su), and "circus" (sa– ka su) further illustrate the use of long vowels Other relevant words are "kiss" (ki su), "Switzerland" (su i su), and "khaki color" (ka– ki) Lastly, "success" (sa ku se su), "cake" (ke– ki), and "okay" (o– ke–) highlight the importance of mastering long vowel pronunciation in katakana.

Romaji pronunciation guide: a as in father i as in easy u as in you e as in red o as in oak

Writing Tip “ta” has tree strokes: 1) a brush, 2) brush and 3) stop. ᴾἑᴾ ἑᴾ ἑᴾ ἑᴾ ἑᴾ ἑᴾ ἑᴾ ἑ the leaning tower of Pisa (In Japanese

“tower” is pronounced with a “ta” as in tall). ἑ“ta” as in tall1 3 2 ἑ

1 ta i (Thailand; tie) 2 se– ta– (sweater) Ỷ Ἅ Ὂ Ὂ

3 ta ku shi i (taxi) 4 ta ko su (taco) ἁ Ἁ Ὂ ἅ Ἃ

Writing Tip “chi” has three strokes: 1) a brush, 2) stop and 3) brush. ᴾἓᴾἓᴾἓᴾἓᴾἓᴾἓᴾἓᴾἓ

“chi” as in cheer a cheerleader ἓ 2 1 3 ἓ

1 chi ki n ((cooked) chicken) 2 se n chi (centimeter) ỿ ὅ Ἅ ὅ

3 i n chi (inch) 4 ko– chi (coach) Ỷ ὅ ἅ Ὂ

The Japanese character "tsu" consists of three distinct strokes: a stop, a stop, and a brush It's important to note that while "tsu" (つ) and "shi" (し) may appear similar, the strokes in "tsu" extend downward, whereas those in "shi" lean more to the right.

Two children are sliding down a slide

(“ts” like cats and “u” like you) ἖“tsu” as in cats

1 su– tsu (suit) 2 tsu a– (tour) Ἃ Ὂ Ỵ Ὂ

3 shi i tsu ((bed)sheet) 4 ta i tsu (tights) Ἁ Ὂ ἑ Ỷ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best Ἐ

Writing Tip “te” has three strokes: 1) a stop, 2) stop and 3) brush ᴾἘᴾἘᴾἘᴾἘᴾἘᴾἘᴾἘᴾἘ

“te” as in telephone a telephone pole and wires Ἐ 2 1 3

1 ka– te n (curtains) 2 te ki su to (textbook) ỽ Ὂ ὅ ỿ Ἃ Ἒ

3 te ku (tech – abbr.) 4 a– ki te ku to (architect) ἁ Ỵ Ὂ ỿ ἁ Ἒ

Writing Tip “to” has two strokes and they are both stops. ᴾἚᴾ Ἒᴾ Ἒᴾ Ἒᴾ Ἒᴾ Ἒᴾ Ἒᴾ Ἒ a totem pole Ἒ“to” as in totem Ἒ

1 su ka– to (skirt) 2 te su to (test) Ἃ ỽ Ὂ Ἐ Ἃ

3 sa i to ((web or real) site) 4 su ta– to (start) ἇ Ỷ Ἃ ἑ Ὂ

Writing Tip “na” has two strokes: 1) a stop and 2) brush ᴾἜᴾἜᴾἜᴾἜᴾἜᴾἜᴾἜᴾἜ

“na” as in not a knife Ἔ 1

1 na i fu (knife) 2 na re– ta– (narrator) Ỷ ἧ Ἶ Ὂ ἑ Ὂ

3 tsu na (tuna) 4 sa u na (sauna) 5 na sa (NASA) ἖ ἇ Ỹ ἇ

Writing Tip “ni” has two strokes and they are both stops. ᴾἝᴾἝᴾἝᴾἝᴾἝᴾἝᴾἝᴾἝ

The Japanese word for “two” is ni Ἕ“ni” as in need

1 te ni su (tennis) 2 e su to ni a (Estonia) Ἐ Ἃ Ỻ Ἃ Ἒ Ỵ

3 so ni i (Sony company) 4 su ni i ka– (sneakers) Ἇ Ὂ Ἃ Ὂ ỽ Ὂ

Writing Tip “nu” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop. ᴾ἞ᴾ ἞ᴾ ἞ᴾ ἞ᴾ ἞ᴾ ἞ᴾ ἞ᴾ ἞

“nu” as in new a new way to write seven (7) ἞ 2 1

1 a i nu (Ainu – indigenous people of Japan)

3 nu– do ru (noodles) 4 ka nu– (canoe) Ὂ Ἓ Ἵ ỽ Ὂ

Writing Tip “ne” has four strokes: 1) a stop, 2) brush, 3) stop and 4) stop. ᴾ἟ᴾ἟ᴾ἟ᴾ἟ᴾ἟ᴾ἟ᴾ἟ᴾ἟ a nest on top of a tree ἟“ne” as in nest

2 ne ga ((photo) negatives) 3 to n ne ru (tunnel) Ỿ Ἒ ὅ Ἵ

Writing Tip “no” has only one stroke and it is a brush. ᴾἠᴾ ἠᴾ ἠᴾ ἠᴾ ἠᴾ ἠᴾ ἠᴾ ἠ

“no” as in nose a nose ἠ 1 ἠ

1 no– to (notebook) 2 pi a no (piano) Ὂ Ἒ ἦ Ỵ

3 ka ji no (casino) 4 su no– bo– do (snowboard; snowboarding) ỽ Ἂ Ἃ Ὂ Ἦ Ὂ Ἓ

Writing Tip “ha” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop ᴾἡᴾἡᴾἡᴾἡᴾἡᴾἡᴾἡᴾἡ the two wings of a fearsome hawk (or a slightly dazed-looking hawk) ἡ“ha” as in hawk

1 ha i ki n gu (hiking) 2 ha i chi (Haiti) Ỷ ỿ ὅ ἂ Ỷ ἓ

3 ha i te ku (high tech) 4 ha su ki i (Husky – dog) Ỷ Ἐ ἁ Ἃ ỿ Ὂ

Writing Tip “hi” has two strokes and they are both stops. ᴾἤᴾ ἤᴾ ἤᴾ ἤᴾ ἤᴾ ἤᴾ ἤᴾ ἤ

1 ko– hi i (coffee) 2 hi n to (hint) ἅ Ὂ Ὂ ὅ Ἒ

3 hi i ta– (heater) 4 hi i ro– (hero) Ὂ ἑ Ὂ Ὂ Ἷ Ὂ

Writing Tip “fu” has only one stroke and it is a brush ᴾἧᴾἧᴾἧᴾἧᴾἧᴾἧᴾἧᴾἧ

The owl cries, “Hoot! Hoot!” ἧ“fu” as in Hoot!

(except the lips are less rounded, and more air escapes from the mouth)

1 su ka– fu (scarf) 2 fu ra n su (France) Ἃ ỽ Ὂ Ἳ ὅ Ἃ

3 so fu to (software) 4 go ru fu (golf) Ἇ Ἒ ἆ Ἵ

Writing Tip “he” has only one stroke and it is a stop. ᴾἪᴾἪᴾἪᴾἪᴾἪᴾἪᴾἪᴾἪ

“he” as in help There are no significant differences between katakana “he” and hiragana “ he ” Ἢ 1 ἪἪ

1 he ri (helicopter) 2 he ddo ho n (headphones) Ἴ ἕ Ἓ Ἥ ὅ

3 he ru pu (help) 4 he a ka ra– (hair dye; hair coloring) Ἵ Ἡ Ỵ ỽ Ἳ Ὂ

Writing Tip “ho” has four strokes: 1) a stop, 2) jump, 3) stop and 4) stop. ᴾἭᴾἭᴾἭᴾἭᴾἭᴾἭᴾἭᴾἭ

Mr “Ho Ho” laughs even when stuck in a chimney! Ἥ“ho” as in Ho! Ho!

1 ho te ru (hotel) 2 ho kke– (hockey) Ἐ Ἵ ἕ ἃ Ὂ

3 ho– mu ((train station) platform) 4 ho i ru (foil) Ὂ ἲ Ỷ Ἵ

To enhance your reading skills, fold the page lengthwise or cover it with your hand to focus solely on the katakana words on the left side Practice reading these words aloud, then verify your pronunciation by comparing them with the corresponding words on the right Continue this exercise until you can confidently read all the katakana For an additional challenge, attempt to read the Japanese words and say the English equivalent before checking your accuracy.

In katakana, long vowels are represented with a line called bo–, making it simpler than hiragana To enhance pronunciation, long vowels should be pronounced with about twice the length of a single syllable Examples of words with long vowels include "タクシー" (takushi - taxi), "タコス" (takosu - taco), "コーチ" (kochi - coach), and "スーツ" (suitsu - suit) Other examples are "ツアー" (tsuā - tour), "テキスト" (tekisuto - textbook), and "スカート" (sukāto - skirt) Additionally, words like "テスト" (tesuto - test), "ナイフ" (naifu - knife), and "ツナ" (tsuna - tuna) also feature long vowels The term "カタカナ" (katakana) itself exemplifies this structure, along with "テニス" (tenisu - tennis) and "スニーカー" (sunīkā - sneakers) Other notable mentions include "カヌー" (kanu - canoe), "アイヌ" (Ainu - indigenous people of northern Japan), and "ノート" (nōto - notebook) Finally, "ハスキー" (hasukī - Husky dog), "コーヒー" (kōhī - coffee), and "ソフトウェア" (sofutowea - software) illustrate the use of long vowels in katakana.

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best ἰ

Writing Tip “ma” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop. ᴾἰᴾἰᴾἰᴾἰᴾἰᴾἰᴾἰᴾἰ

Mom holds Baby while she attends to some work. ἰ“ma” as in mom

1 to ma to (tomato) 2 ma– ka– (marker) Ἒ Ἒ Ὂ ỽ Ὂ

3 ma i ku (microphone) 4 ma i ru (mile) Ỷ ἁ Ỷ Ἵ

Writing Tip “mi” has three strokes and all three are stops. ᴾἱᴾ ἱᴾ ἱᴾ ἱᴾ ἱᴾ ἱᴾ ἱᴾ ἱ

1 mi ki sa– (blender) 2 sa ra mi (salami) ỿ ἇ Ὂ ἇ Ἳ

3 mi ni ka– (toy car) 4 mi i ra (mummy; from Portuguese) Ἕ ỽ Ὂ Ỷ Ἳ

Writing Tip “mu” has two strokes and both are stops. ᴾἲᴾἲᴾἲᴾἲᴾἲᴾἲᴾἲᴾἲ

I love jamu (jam)! ἲ“mu” as in moo ἲ

1 chi i mu (team) 2 ha mu su ta– (hamster) ἓ Ὂ ἡ Ἃ ἑ Ὂ

3 ho– mu su te i (home stay) Ἥ Ὂ Ἃ Ἐ Ỷ

Writing Tip “me” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop. ᴾἳᴾ ἳᴾ ἳᴾ ἳᴾ ἳᴾ ἳᴾ ἳᴾ ἳ

“me” as in Mexico the “X” in Mexico ἳ 2 1 ἳ

1 me ki shi ko (Mexico) 2 me– to ru (meter) ỿ Ἁ ἅ Ὂ Ἒ Ἵ

3 a ni me (Japanese cartoons) 4 me mo (memo; notes) Ỵ Ἕ ἴ

Writing Tip “mo” has three strokes and they are all stops. ᴾἴᴾἴᴾἴᴾἴᴾἴᴾἴᴾἴᴾἴ

Hiragana “ mo ” and katakana “mo” look a bit alike Note that stroke #3 does not go through stroke #1. ἴ“mo” as in more

1 sa– mo n (salmon – fish) 2 shi na mo n (cinnamon) ἇ Ὂ ὅ Ἁ Ἔ ὅ

3 mo ni ta– (monitor) 4 mo– ru (mall) Ἕ ἑ Ὂ Ὂ Ἵ

Writing Tip “ya” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop ᴾἶᴾἶᴾἶᴾἶᴾἶᴾἶᴾἶᴾἶ

“ya” as in yarn Katakana “ya” and hiragana “ ya ” look a bit alike ἶ 1 2 ἶở

1 ta i ya (tire) 2 i ya ho n (earphones) ἑ Ỷ Ỷ Ἥ ὅ

3 da i ya (diamond) 4 ya fu– (Yahoo – company) ἒ Ỷ ἧ Ὂ

Writing Tip “yu” has two strokes and both are stops. ᴾἸᴾἸᴾἸᴾἸᴾἸᴾἸᴾἸᴾἸ Ἰ“yu” as in you

You won the “hangman” game!

1 yu– ta– n (u-turn) 2 yu– ro (Euro) Ὂ ἑ Ὂ ὅ Ὂ Ἷ

3 yu– mo a (humor) 4 yu– za– (user) Ὂ ἴ Ỵ Ὂ Ἀ Ὂ

Writing Tip “yo” has three strokes and they are all stops. ᴾἺᴾ Ἲᴾ Ἲᴾ Ἲᴾ Ἲᴾ Ἲᴾ Ἲᴾ Ἲ

“yo” as in yogurt yogurt Ἲ 3 2 1 Ἲ

1 ku re yo n (crayon) 2 to yo ta (Toyota – company) ἁ Ἶ ὅ Ἒ ἑ

3 yo– yo– (yo-yo) 4 yo– ga (yoga) Ὂ Ὂ Ὂ Ỿ

Writing Tip “ra” has two strokes: 1) a stop and 2) brush. ᴾἻᴾ Ἳᴾ Ἳᴾ Ἳᴾ Ἳᴾ Ἳᴾ Ἳᴾ Ἳ a robber Ἳ“ra” as in robber

1 ka me ra (camera ) 2 ku ra su (school class) ỽ ἳ ἁ Ἃ

Write the character in the boxes below, and then circle the one you think is best Ἴ ụ

Writing Tip “ri” has two strokes: 1) a stop and 2) brush. ᴾἼᴾ Ἴᴾ Ἴᴾ Ἴᴾ Ἴᴾ Ἴᴾ Ἴᴾ Ἴ

Katakana “ri” and hiragana “ ri ” look a bit alike. Ἴ 1

1 a fu ri ka (Africa) 2 i ta ri a (Italy) Ỵ ἧ ỽ Ỷ ἑ Ỵ

3 a i su ku ri i mu (ice cream) Ỵ Ỷ Ἃ ἁ Ὂ ἲ

Writing Tip “ru” has two strokes and both are brushes ᴾἽᴾἽᴾἽᴾἽᴾἽᴾἽᴾἽᴾἽ tree roots Ἵ“ru” as in roots Ἵ

1 ho te ru (hotel) 2 mi ru ku ((cow’s) milk) Ἥ Ἐ ἱ ἁ

3 a ru mi ho i ru (aluminum foil) Ỵ ἱ Ἥ Ỷ

Writing Tip “re” has one stroke: a brush. ᴾἾᴾ Ἶᴾ Ἶᴾ Ἶᴾ Ἶᴾ Ἶᴾ Ἶᴾ Ἶ

“re” as in rain splashing raindrops Ἶ 1 Ἶ

1 re su to ra n (restaurant) 2 re shi i to (receipt) Ἃ Ἒ Ἳ ὅ Ἁ Ὂ Ἒ

3 e re ki (electric guitar) 4 ka re– ra i su (curry rice) Ỻ ỿ ỽ Ὂ Ἳ Ỷ Ἃ

Writing Tip“ro” has three strokes and all three are stops ᴾἿᴾ Ἷᴾ Ἷᴾ Ἷᴾ Ἷᴾ Ἷᴾ Ἷᴾ Ἷ a robot Ἷ“ro” as in robot

1 ki ro (kilogram; kilometer) 2 su to ro– (drinking straw) ỿ Ἃ Ἒ Ὂ

3 te ro (terrorism) 4 ro shi a (Russia) Ἐ Ἁ Ỵ

Writing Tip “wa” has two strokes: 1) a stop and 2) brush. ᴾὁᴾὁᴾὁᴾὁᴾὁᴾὁᴾὁᴾὁ

1 ha wa i (Hawaii) 2 wa i ya re su (wireless) ἡ Ỷ Ỷ ἶ Ἶ Ἃ

3 wa– ku shi i to (worksheet) Ὂ ἁ Ἁ Ὂ Ἒ

Writing Tip “o” has two strokes: 1) a brush and 2) stop. ᴾὄᴾ ὄᴾ ὄᴾ ὄᴾ ὄᴾ ὄᴾ ὄᴾ ὄ

“Oh, this cookie is oishii (delicious)!” ὄ“o” as in oak

1 ὄ su ta– to bo ta n o o shi te ku da sa i (Push the start button.) Ἃ ἑ Ὂ Ἒ Ἦ ἑ ὅ Ỽ Ἁ Ἐ ἁ ἒ ἇ Ỷ ẇ

As a grammatical object marker, ὄ ”o” is rarely used to write sentences, except in telegrams and some video games Trace the light gray characters and write the character by yourself.

“n” as in ink (pronounced by touching the back of the tongue to the roof of the mouth)

The letter "n" consists of two strokes: a stop and a brush It's important to note that while the letters ὅ ("n") and Ἇ ("so") may appear similar, they are distinct in their writing styles; "n" is primarily written from left to right, whereas "so" is oriented more from top to bottom.

An inky black iguana is getting a suntan. ὅ 1 2

1 me ro n (melon) 2 ma ra so n (any running race) ἳ Ἷ ἰ Ἳ Ἇ

3 ra– me n (ramen noodles) 4 mi shi n (sewing machine) Ἳ Ὂ ἳ ἱ Ἁ

To enhance your reading skills, cover the right side of the page to focus solely on the katakana words on the left Practice reading them aloud and then verify your pronunciation with the romaji on the right Continue this exercise until you can confidently read all the katakana words For an additional challenge, try to say the corresponding English words before checking your answers This method will help reinforce your learning and improve your reading fluency in Japanese.

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