Ukrainian usually uses Cyrillic letters; Japanese combines several scripts in the same sentence.
The idea
Hiragana and katakana mostly represent sound units: あ and ア both represent a. Hiragana writes particles and endings, while katakana often writes loanwords such as パン. Kanji such as 水 carry meaning and can have different readings in different words. Furigana gives a reading above or beside kanji; 水（みず） means water.
| Script | Example |
|---|---|
| ひらがな | あ |
| カタカナ | ア |
| 漢字 | 水（みず） |
Examples
- 私は学生です。I am a student.
- これは本です。This is a book.
- 水をのみます。I drink water.
- パンを食べます。I eat bread.
- バスで学校に行きます。I go to school by bus.
- 猫がここにいます。A cat is here.
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Watch out
Do not treat kanji as an alphabet with one fixed sound per sign. The small reading is a guide, not a separate word.
Try it yourself
Which script is あ: ひらがな or カタカナ?
Show answer or example answer
ひらがな
あ is hiragana; its katakana counterpart is ア.
Which script is パン written in: ひらがな or カタカナ?
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カタカナ
パン is katakana, commonly used for this loanword.
Write the reading of 水 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
みず
みず is the furigana reading of 水 in this word.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Which script is あ: ひらがな or カタカナ?
Which script is パン written in: ひらがな or カタカナ?
Write the reading of 水 in hiragana.
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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Find each script in パンを食べます, then read 水 using its furigana.