Japanese writing systems for Arabic readers

The idea

Arabic normally runs right to left and its letters principally represent consonants; short vowels may be marked with diacritics or omitted. Japanese horizontal text normally runs left to right, though vertical text runs top to bottom in columns ordered right to left. Hiragana and katakana represent sounds, usually a consonant plus a vowel; kanji generally represent meaningful elements and can have different readings. Hiragana also writes grammatical endings and particles, while katakana often writes loanwords such as コーヒー.

Examples

• 本ほんを読よみます。I read a book.
• コーヒーを飲のみます。I drink coffee.
• これは日本にほんの新聞しんぶんです。This is a Japanese newspaper.
• 名前なまえを書かきます。I write my name.
• 猫ねこは庭にわにいます。The cat is in the garden.
• 店みせでパンを買かいます。I buy bread at the shop.

Watch out

Do not assume a kanji has only one pronunciation, or that kana work like optional Arabic vowel marks. Furigana above kanji gives its reading in kana.

Try it yourself

1. 本ほんの読よみを書かいてください。

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   ほん

   ほん is the reading of 本; the furigana supplies its pronunciation.

2. カタカナを選えらんでください。（コーヒー／ほん）

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   コーヒー

   コーヒー is written in katakana, commonly used for loanwords.

3. ひらがなの助詞じょしを選えらんでください。（は／猫）

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   は

   は is hiragana and marks the topic here; in this use it is pronounced wa.

Use it today

In each example, find a kanji, hiragana and, where present, katakana. Then read the furigana aloud.