A Japanese sentence can combine all three scripts. Find each part before reading the sentence as a whole.
The idea
Kanji often carries a word’s core meaning, hiragana writes particles and endings, and katakana often writes loanwords. In バスで駅へ行きます, バス is katakana, で and へ are hiragana particles, and 駅 and 行 are kanji. Read the small kana over the kanji as their readings, then join the pieces.
| Script | Example |
|---|---|
| 漢字 | 駅 |
| カタカナ | バス |
| ひらがな | で・へ |
Examples
- コーヒーを飲みます。I drink coffee.
- パンを買います。I buy bread.
- バスで駅へ行きます。I go to the station by bus.
- テレビを見ます。I watch television.
- ホテルは駅の近くです。The hotel is near the station.
- ノートに名前を書きます。I write my name in a notebook.
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Watch out
A character does not always sound as its usual chart reading: the topic particle は is pronounced wa. Read particles in context rather than assuming every は is ha.
Try it yourself
「駅」は？（漢字／カタカナ）
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漢字
駅 is kanji; the furigana えき gives its reading.
「バス」は？（ひらがな／カタカナ）
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カタカナ
バス is katakana and means bus.
「へ」は？（ひらがな／カタカナ）
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ひらがな
へ is a hiragana particle marking direction; here it is pronounced e.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
「駅」は？（漢字／カタカナ）
「バス」は？（ひらがな／カタカナ）
「へ」は？（ひらがな／カタカナ）
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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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.