Dutch uses an alphabet; Japanese normally combines several scripts in one sentence.
The idea
Hiragana commonly writes particles and grammatical endings, as in は and みます. Katakana often writes loanwords such as パン and コーヒー. Kanji commonly carry the core of words, as in 水 and 読; the hiragana above them is furigana showing the reading. Kana represent sound units, while kanji can have different readings depending on the word.
Examples
- 私は学生です。I am a student.
- 水を飲みます。I drink water.
- パンを買います。I buy bread.
- コーヒーが好きです。I like coffee.
- 本を読みます。I read a book.
- 猫はここにいます。The cat is here.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not expect spaces between every word as in Dutch, or assume that each kanji has only one reading.
Try it yourself
Choose the hiragana: （みず／ミズ）
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みず
みず is hiragana; ミズ represents the same sounds in katakana.
Choose the katakana: （パン／ぱん）
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パン
パン is katakana, commonly used here for a loanword.
Choose the reading of 本: （ほん／みず）
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ほん
本 is read ほん in this sentence; みず is the reading of 水.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Choose the hiragana: （みず／ミズ）
Choose the katakana: （パン／ぱん）
Choose the reading of 本: （ほん／みず）
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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In 水を飲みます, find the kanji and the hiragana ending, then read the furigana aloud.