Learn Japanese

Lesson 2

s mentioned in Lesson 1, Katakana (as seen in the chart below) is mainly used for foreign words such as foreign names and words that have been borrowed from other languages such as コンピューター (kompyu-ta- = computer). Katakana is the least frequently used of the three character sets in Japanese. The Japanese language does not have as many sounds as the English language so, when creating a name in Katakana, for instance, the name must be sound out to the closest Japanese equivalent. Katakana, Hiragana, and Furigana (when Hiragana is written small next to a Kanji character to show how that character is read) are collectively known as Kana. Don't worry too much about Katakana (beyond maybe learning your name) for now. 

There are some special Katakana characters that exist only for foreign names (such as シェ (she) or ティ (ti)). These special characters are not in the chart below (which contains only the standard set of Katakana characters) but can be seen in our Names in Japaneselesson. There are also the characters ヰ (wi) and ヱ (we) which were deemed obsolete in 1946.

ア 
aイ 
iウ 
uエ 
eオ 
oカ 
kaキ 
kiク 
kuケ 
keコ 
koガ 
gaギ 
giグ 
guゲ 
geゴ 
goサ 
saシ 
shiス 
suセ 
seソ 
soザ 
zaジ 
jiズ 
zuゼ 
zeゾ 
zoタ 
taチ 
chiツ 
tsuテ 
teト 
toダ 
daヂ 
jiヅ 
zuデ 
deド 
doナ 
naニ 
niヌ 
nuネ 
neノ 
noハ 
haヒ 
hiフ 
fuヘ 
heホ 
hoバ 
baビ 
biブ 
buベ 
beボ 
boパ 
paピ 
piプ 
puペ 
peポ 
poマ 
maミ 
miム 
muメ 
meモ 
moヤ 
yaユ 
yuヨ 
yoラ 
raリ 
riル 
ruレ 
reロ 
roワ 
waヲ 
woン 
n/m

Combinations

キャ 
kyaキュ 
kyuキョ 
kyoギャ 
gyaギュ 
gyuギョ 
gyoシャ 
shaシュ 
shuショ 
shoジャ 
jaジュ 
juジョ 
joチャ 
chaチュ 
chuチョ 
choニャ 
nyaニュ 
nyuニョ 
nyoヒャ 
hyaヒュ 
hyuヒョ 
hyoビャ 
byaビュ 
byuビョ 
byoピャ 
pyaピュ 
pyuピョ 
pyoミャ 
myaミュ 
myuミョ 
myoリャ 
ryaリュ 
ryuリョ