A handwritten note can look different from the type you know. Start with the whole message and locate familiar words.

The idea

Handwritten kana and kanji may have rounded corners, joined strokes or small gaps where a font shows a continuous line. Compare the number and position of strokes, then test your guess against the surrounding grammar and words. The examples below are typed transcriptions of note-like sentences.

Examples

  • 三時さんじに駅えきへ来きてください。Please come to the station at three.
  • 本ほんを机つくえの上うえに置おいてください。Please put the book on the desk.
  • 明日あしたの会議かいぎは午後ごごです。Tomorrow’s meeting is in the afternoon.
  • メモを読よんだら、電話でんわしてください。Please call me after you read the note.
  • 鍵かぎは小ちいさい箱はこの中なかです。The key is in the small box.
  • 日付ひづけをもう一度いちど、確認かくにんしてください。Please check the date once more.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

A loose shape alone is not proof: さ and き or れ and ね can resemble each other in a hurried hand. Writers vary; do not assume that every person joins or separates the same strokes. Confirm dates and names with the writer if uncertain.

Try it yourself

  1. 「きょう」を漢字かんじで書かいてください。

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    今日

    今日 writes きょう, “today”; the first character is 今, not 明.

  2. 「あした」を漢字かんじで書かいてください。

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    明日

    明日 writes あした, “tomorrow”; compare 明 with 今 in 今日.

  3. 箱はこの＿に鍵かぎがあります。（中／本）

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    中

    中 means “inside”: 箱の中 identifies the inside of the box; 本 means “book”.

Use it today

Read each example as a note. Find the time, place or action, then copy it by hand and compare your writing with the typed characters.