Katakana: the Japanese writing system

The idea

Katakana represents the same sound system as hiragana. It commonly writes loanwords, many foreign names and sometimes words for emphasis. In コーヒー, each ー lengthens the preceding vowel; compare the kana pairs in the chart before reading the examples.

Examples

• コーヒーを飲のみます。I drink coffee.
• パンを買かいます。I buy bread.
• バスで駅えきへ行いきます。I go to the station by bus.
• テレビを見みます。I watch television.
• ホテルは駅えきの近ちかくです。The hotel is near the station.
• ノートに名前なまえを書かきます。I write my name in a notebook.

Watch out

Katakana is a script, not a promise that a loanword sounds or means exactly like its source. Keep both long marks in コーヒー; a missing mark changes the timing.

Try it yourself

1. Write the katakana counterpart of あ.

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   ア

   あ and ア represent the same sound, a; ア is the katakana form requested.

2. Write the katakana counterpart of し.

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   シ

   し and シ represent the same sound, shi; シ is the katakana form requested.

3. Complete コー＿ー (coffee) with one katakana character.

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   ヒ

   コーヒー means coffee; ヒ completes its spelling.

4. Complete パ＿ (bread) with one katakana character.

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   ン

   パン means bread; ン completes its spelling.

Use it today

Cover the chart. Read two words from the examples aloud, write their readings in kana from memory, then compare them with the furigana and chart.