Learn Kana
In Japanese, kana means the two writing systems, Hiragana and Katakana. Learn both here for free!Hiragana Lessons
So you are new to Hiragana? It isn't that hard to learn. If you study 15-30 minutes a day for 2 or 3 weeks you can learn all of the Hiragana! In fact you can begin to read REAL Japanese the first day! If you are new to Hiragana please read through the introduction here on this page before starting the chapters. If you need a book to learn with please take a look at the selection of books related to Hiragana and Katakana at our store.
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Search WyzAnt to find a japanese tutor near you. Your first hour of tutoring comes with a satisfaction guarantee so you can start lessons with confidence! |
HIRAGANA LESSONS:
SUGGESTIONS: Tackle 2 or 3 hiragana a day (or as many as you feel comfortable with); Be sure to write each one down many times; Look for hiragana you have studied elsewhere while you study and try to recognize the ones you've already learned. This helps build your memory.
You may want to hear all hiragana pronounced before beginning.
Click on the chapter title or green button in any box below to jump directly to that chapter.
and so forth.
We also have some Hiragana Quizzes (Your browser needs to be able to see Japanese)
Quiz #1 (the 46 characters covered in chapters 1 - 10)
Quiz #2 (the "combo" characters covered in chapter 11)
Hiragana Randomizer Flash Cards (Only works with IE)
Practice Hiragana by Typing Romaji
An Introduction:
Let's learn the first of the three Japanese 'alphabets.' (they aren't really alphabets) Three?!! You mean there's more!?! Yes, but before you run for the aspirin, know that hiragana is perhaps the most useful and it can be mastered (to a slow, but readable degree) in less than 2 weeks! Hiragana's sister is Katakana. Once you learn Hiragana, you will notice how similar Katakana is. The third is kanji - characters originally from China. But more on that later...
Here is a comment from a very nice guy:
I learned how to read and write hiragana almost exclusively through this site, and I think it's a great learning tool. I did one lesson a day, and wrote each character several times until I had it memorized. Then I re-wrote all of the characters I had learned so far, up to that point. It was fairly easy and fun. I found the mnemonics a great help. It really didn't seem to matter what they said ("Look ma, a dragonfly!), just the process of reading them helped me to remember. Thank you very much for your hard work on this site, and for making it available to everyone on the Internet. Good job.-- Tom
About Hiragana:
Today all three 'alphabets' are used together. As a rule, most words (of Chinese or Japanese origin) are written with kanji + hiragana. And foreign loan words and names are written with katakana.
About the Sounds:
Most sounds in Japanese are found also in English. Unlike in English, the 'letters' in Japanese only have one sound each, with three exceptions that will be mentioned later on. Please click on the sound files to get a feel for the sounds. The most important to master are the vowels (the first row). The sounds are all found in English. Please repeat the sounds many times. If you spend a few moments looking at the chart, you should be able to see a clear pattern (each column has the same vowel sound and each row has the same consonant sound.) There are only a few that deviate from that pattern (in red) - But we will get to that later.
wo
only used as a particle
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These are all the basic hiragana letters. The rest are simply combinations of two hiragana. (For Example: to make the 'sha' sound - add し(shi) + や(ya) = しゃ(sha) - Notice how the second letter is smaller; but we will look at this later.)
We will look at about 5 'letters' per page. Do one a day and in no time you will be reading real Japanese!
Some good advice from Amanda - a thejapanesepage.com member:
When I was first learning to make the "r" sound one tip that helped was to keep "l" in mind, but widen the tongue.
With a traditional English "l" the tongue is narrowed right behind the two front teeth. If you pay close attention to widening your tongue while you are first learning the sound what you get sounds more like the Japanese "r". There may be a slight over-correction at first, but once you stop focusing on it entirely it will make the sound more natural and the practice makes it easier to master.
I thought sharing this would be of help to others who are learning on their own.
It was sort of funny when I first read that tip because after repeating the r's over and over and over, I was really aware of how my tongue moved to make other sounds. It's weird, but when you pay attention to the sounds you make you almost start to wonder if you're doing it right. Kind of like saying one word several times- it stops sounding like that word even though you haven't changed what you are saying!
Hiragana Chapter 1
Hiragana Page 01 あ a
AND so begins your journey! Be sure to write each character many times
Japanese has 5 vowel sounds (a, i, u, e, o) which are used to make the rest of the Hiragana |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 02 い i
With only 2 Hiragana under your belt, you can begin to read real Japanese words!
Find websites or books with Japanese and search for the Hiragana you know |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This
means "love"Hiragana Page 03 う u
As we build the number of characters learned we will increase the vocabulary as well
Later we will see that sometimes this character is used to make characters longer in pronunciation - keep that in mind, but don't worry, be happy |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means "to
meet"Hiragana Page 04 え e
Do your best to correctly pronounce each vowel - it will be very important later on
You are doing great! Are you writing these characters down? |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means "no"Hiragana Page 05 お o
You are up to your last vowel! Congrats!
All other Hiragana letters are consonants + a vowel (except n) |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means " the
color blue"Hiragana Page 06 Review One
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
All other Hiragana letters are consonants + a vowel (except n) |
Hiragana Chapter 2
Hiragana Page 07 か ka
Now we have the first consonant [K sound + A sound = KA]
Hiragana and Katakana use the same sound system. So once you learn the way Hiragana works, Katakana isn't too difficult! |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 08 き ki
Follow the order of strokes shown below to make your Hiragana look natural
Hiragana has many curves; Katakana is very sharp |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 09 く ku
This is not your average less than sign
Kanji, the 3rd writing system in Japanese, has about 2000 characters to learn - aren't you glad you are learning Hiragana? |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'the number 9'Hiragana Page 10 け ke
Gambatte!
Almost there! |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'pond'Hiragana Page 11 こ ko
...
Almost done with Chapter 2! |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means "child"Hiragana Page 12 Review Two
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 3
Hiragana Page 13 さ sa
Hiragana Lessons HomeNow for the S's - Can you get the pattern?
If you understand Hiragana's pattern, I believe you have mastered the hardest part |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 14 し shi
NOTE: This is pronounced as the English 'SHE' not 'SEA' as you would expect!
Keep trying to find Hiragana you know on the Internet |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'stone'Hiragana Page 15 す su
Remember to have fun while drawing the characters!
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HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'chair'Hiragana Page 16 せ se
Try to make silly memory associations for yourself |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'sweat'Hiragana Page 17 そ so
Now let's wrap up Chapter 3!
Almost there! |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'a lie' or 'not
true'Hiragana Page 18 Review Three
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 4
Hiragana Page 19 た ta
CHAPTER 4: The 'T' line has a few that aren't "regular" - so be careful
Try saying "ta chi tsu te to" 5 times fast |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'down' or 'below'Hiragana Page 20 ち chi
I know my memory associations are getting worse... UGH!
If you think of good associations for the hiragana, leave a comment on this page for the next fellow! |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'the number one'Hiragana Page 21 つ tsu
One of the easiest Hiragana to write & hardest to pronounce
Listen to the sound file until you feel comfortable with it |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'when?'Hiragana Page 22 て te
Hiragana! |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'hand'Hiragana Page 23 と to
HIRAGANA TO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'sound'Hiragana Page 24 Review Four
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 5
Hiragana Page 25 な na
Hiragana NA |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 26 に ni
Hiragana NI |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 27 ぬ nu
Hiragana NU |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'dog'Hiragana Page 28 ね ne
Hiragana NE |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 29 の no
This hiragana by itself means 'apostraphe S' (Possession) |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'apostraphe S' (possession)Hiragana Page 30 Review Five
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 6
Hiragana Page 31 は ha
Hiragana HA
When used as a particle it is pronounced as wa - but don't worry about it now :) |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 32 ひ hi
It almost looks like a smiley face without eyes |
HOW TO
WRITE IT (from top- left to right)
- This means 'day'Hiragana Page 33 ふ fu
Be careful! You would think "HU" but it is pronounced as "FU"
Say 'HA HI FU HE HO' several times |
HOW TO
WRITE IT (from top to bottom)
Hiragana Page 34 へ he
Hiragana
Like ha when this is used as a particle it is pronounced as just e (drop the h) - but more on that later... |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 35 ほ ho
Hiragana
|
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 36 Review Six
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 7
Hiragana Page 37 ま ma
Note that the second horizontal line is just a bit shorter than the top one
MA MI MU ME MO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'now'Hiragana Page 38 み mi
This is one of my favorites...
MA MI MU ME MO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'meaning'Hiragana Page 39 む mu
Hiragana
MA MI MU ME MO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 40 め me
Hiragana
MA MI MU ME MO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 41 も mo
Hiragana
MA MI MU ME MO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'potato'Hiragana Page 42 Review Seven
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 8
Hiragana Page 43 や ya
Hiragana
YA YU YO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'parent'Hiragana Page 44 ゆ yu
Hiragana
YA YU YO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 45 よ yo
Hiragana
YA YU YO |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 46 Review Eight
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 9
Hiragana Page 47 ら ra
Hiragana - For more on the R's click here
RA RI RU RE RO - are the most difficult to pronounce - listen to the sound file HERE 53 k wav |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'from'Hiragana Page 48 り ri
Don't confuse this with い i
Listen to them all HERE 53 k wav |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'bird'Hiragana Page 49 る ru
Hiragana - For more on the R's click here
Listen to them all HERE 53 k wav |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'to come'Hiragana Page 50 れ re
|
Listen to them all HERE 53 k wav
Listen to them all HERE 53 k wav |
HOW TO WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 51 ろ ro
|
Listen to them all HERE 53 k wav
Listen to them all HERE 53 k wav |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'color'Hiragana Page 52 Review Nine
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 10
Hiragana Page 53 わ wa
Hiragana |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means 'river'Hiragana Page 54 ん n
This is the only Hiragana that doesn't have a vowel sound
You can't start a word with N |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
- This means
'gold'Hiragana Page 55 を o
This one is only used as a particle meaning Direct Object and is pronounced 'OH'
Read Hiragana you know on the Internet |
HOW TO
WRITE IT 
Hiragana Page 56 Review Ten
Here are the suspects... Can you name them?
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Hiragana Chapter 11
Hiragana Page 57 Combinations
This part is a little different... Take it slow and you should be able to catch on
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How to make the 'ten-ten' letters. A 'ten-ten'
is like a double- quote (") It changes the
sound of the letter to a harder sound. You can
ONLY 'ten-ten' the 'K' row, the 'S' row, the 'T' row and the 'H' row. (look at the chart to the
right - the red ones are the ones with slightly
difficult pronunciation)
ba) and
'P' is with a circle (ex. 
pa))
Hiragana Page 58 Combinations
This part is a little different... Take it slow and you should be able to catch on
gambatte! |
Hiragana Page 59 Small Tsu
This part is a little different... Take it slow and you should be able to catch on
gambatte! |
Hiragana Chapter 12
Hiragana Page 60 Last Bit
Well Done! You Made it!
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The name sounds impossible to learn,
but it is simply reading the Hiragana that makes
the character. The eyebrow is 'he.' The eye is
'no.' The nose is 'mo.' the mouth is 'he.' And
the face is made by 'ji.'(ji = shi + ") Do
you see it?Katakana Lessons
Katakana is very similar to Hiragana; you should be able to pick it up without too much trouble. Actually [begin: Clay's confession] I have never studied Katakana. But I can read it just fine. What do I mean - you ask? Well, in real written Japanese, Katakana is used very sparcely unless the subject has a lot of foreign words or names. So I picked up Katakana when I needed it. That is, when I came across katakana I would look it up. Because I read a lot, I was able to learn Katakana without specifically studying it! Sounds like I am trying to discourage you from studying, huh? Ok I will stop. Gambatte!
There are tons of FREE resources on the web. I encourage you to use them. Or if you really want to spend money, please take a look at the Kana section of our online shop.
KATAKANA LESSONS:
SUGGESTIONS: Tackle 2 or 3 katakana a day (or as many as you feel comfortable with); Be sure to write each one down many times; Look for katakana you have studied elsewhere while you study and try to recognize the ones you've already learned. This helps build your memory.
You may want to hear all hiragana pronounced before beginning. However, if you've already learned the sounds for the hiragana, the sounds for katakana are exactly the same!
Click on the chapter title or green button in any box below to jump directly to that chapter.
and so forth.
An Introduction:
Katakana is known as the more 'masculine' of the Japanese writing systems. This is because it is rigid with sharp turns. Katakana is mainly used for foreign loan-words and onomatopoeia (sound effects). For example: Cola is コーラ ko-ra. You will notice the dash in the middle of コ ko and ラ ra. This makes the コ ko longer in sound. If this is written in Hiragana, it would look as such: こうら koura. (In Hiragana the う u lengthens the previous character) Other than that, Hiragana and Katakana work and sound in the same way.NOTE: You will need to be able to view Japanese Characters - Click here to find out how
Most sounds in Japanese are found also in English. Unlike English, the 'letters' in Japanese only have one sound, with a few exceptions that will be mentioned later on. Please click on the sound files to get a feel for the sounds. The most important to master are the vowels (the first row). The sounds are all found in English. Please repeat the sounds many times. If you spend a few moments looking at the chart, you should be able to see a clear pattern (each column has the same vowel sound and each row has the same consonant sound). チ (chi), ツ (tsu), ヲ (wo), and ン (n) are the only ones that deviate from the pattern.
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- almost never used.
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These are all the basic katakana letters. The rest are simply combinations of two katakana. (For Example: to make the 'sha' sound - add シ(shi) + ヤ(ya) = シャ(sha) - Notice how the second letter is smaller; but we will look at this later.)
Katakana Page 01
KATAKANA PART 1
So you want to learn
Katakana? Great! You will soon notice how similar it is with
Hiragana. However there are some important differences. Although
you don't have to learn Hiragana before doing this page, I
recommend it if you are not living in Japan. Hiragana is used
much more in writing. But Katakana is used when writing foreign
loanwords and in advertizing. Therefore, Katakana is very useful
for the foreigner IN Japan.
Each Lesson will tackle 5 characters. If you haven't studied Hiragana yet, I would recommend starting with it.
Today's lesson will teach you the vowel sounds in Japanese. These are the SAME SOUNDS as the Hiragana vowels.
Basically, like Spanish, there are 5 vowel sounds. a, i, u, e, o.
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ア - a - as in fAther, Ah 
it looks like a capital A leaning over (doing exercises) 
These are the first 5 letters in katakana. Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words are they?
エア ____________ This
means ____________
アイ ____________ This
means ____________
イア _____________ This
means _____________
オア _____________ This
means ______________ (think of a row boat)
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
エア
ea This means AIR
アイ ai This means
EYE
イア ia This
means EAR
オア oa This
means OAR
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 02
KATAKANA PART 2So you survived the first part. Take a deep breath and jump on in!
In today's lesson, we will look at the K sounds.
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out?
キー ____________ This means ____________ [The ー means to make the previous sound longer (like the hiragana う often does)]
カウ ____________ This means ____________ [Think of an animal]
ケーキ _____________ This means _____________ [Something to eat]
コーク _____________ This means ______________ [Something to drink]
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
キー
ki- This means KEY
カウ kau This means COW
ケーキ ke-ki This
means CAKE
コーク ko-ku This
means COKE
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 03
KATAKANA PART 3Let's take a look at the S's. You may want to make flashcards to practice by.
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out?
キス ____________ This means ____________
サケ____________ This means ____________ [This is usually written in hiragana and is a traditional Japanese drink]
サイ _____________ This means Rhino [Sorry, you probably couldn't guess this meaning, but try to read it!]
アシ _____________ This means ______________ [means a body part in Japanese (again usually written in hiragana or kanji]
ケース _____________ This means ______________ [something you carry - remember the ー means to make the previous sound longer]
アース _____________ This means ______________ [No, it doesn't mean a body part! Remember Japanese doesn't have a 'TH' sound and think of a planet]
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
キス
kisu This means KISS
サケ sake This means SAKE
サイ sai This
means Rhino
アシ ashi This
means LEG
ケース ke-su This means CASE
アース a-su This means EARTH
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 04
KATAKANA PART 4Let's take a look at the T's. You may want to make flashcards to practice by.
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out?
テスト ____________ This
means ____________
アイス ____________ This
means ____________
コート _____________ This
means ____________
アート _____________ This
means ______________
アウト _____________ This means ______________
ツアー_____________ This means ______________
タコス
_____________ This means ______________ [This is a Mexican food]
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
テスト tesuto This means Test
アイス aisu This means Ice (or Ice Cream)
コート ko-to This
means Coat
アート a-to This
means Art
アウト auto This means Out
ツアー tsua- This means Tour
タコス takosu This means (Mexican) Tacos
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here
Katakana Page 05
KATAKANA PART 5Let's take a look at the N's. You may want to make flashcards to practice by. "Na Ni Nu Ne No" is fun. Sounds a bit like something Mork would say to Mindy... Also there are no unexpected sound forms here.
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out? (Some may be easier than others to guess)
ナビ ____________ This
means ____________
ニット ____________ This
means ____________
カヌー _____________ This
means ____________
シチー _____________ This
means ______________
ナース _____________ This means ______________
ソナー_____________ This means ______________
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
ナビ nabi This means Navigator (usually someone who gives directions in the passenger seat or the Navigation systems found in newer cards)
ニット nitto This means to Knit, knitting
カヌー kanu- This
means Canoe
シチー shichi- This
means City [Both syllables are not found in Japanese so SHI instead of SI and CHI instead of TI]
ナース na-su This means Nurse [Usually in Katakana English words the 'r' sound is implied by a ー but not spoken]
ソナー sona- This means Sonar
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 06
KATAKANA PART 6Let's take a look at the H's. What you would expect to be 'HU' is usually pronounced 'FU'
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out? (Some may be easier than others to guess)
ハニー ____________ This
means ____________
ヒット ____________ This
means ____________
ファン_____________ This
means ____________ ( ン is the katakana nasal or "n" )
ヘア _____________ This
means ______________
ホテル _____________ This means ______________ (ル is the katakana for ru)
ハーフ_____________ This means ______________
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
ハニー hani This means Honey (the food, or a nickname for your spouse!)
ヒット hitto This means to hit
ファン fan- This
means a (sports) fan [note the small ア after the フ. This makes the sound FA instead of FUA. You will see simliar small vowels. When you do, simply drop the first character's vowel sound and substitute it with the small vowel sound.]
ヘア hea This
means Hair
ホテル hoteru This means Hotel
ハーフ ha-fu This means Half
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 07
KATAKANA PART 7Let's take a look at the M's. These five are as you should expect... No big surprises
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out? (Some may be easier than others to guess)
マン ____________ This
means ____________
ミート ____________ This
means ____________
コーム_____________ This
means ____________
メキシコ _____________ This
means ______________
モーア _____________ This means ______________
イニ、ミニ、マイニ、モ_____________ This means ______________
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
マン man This means Man
ミート mi-to This means Meat
コーム ko-mu This
means a Comb
メキシコ mekishiko This
means Mexico
モーア mo-a This means Mower
イニ、ミニ、マイニ、モ ini, mini, maini, mo This means Eeinie, Meenie, Minie, Moe
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 08
KATAKANA PART 8Let's take a look at just 3 characters the Y's. As with Hiragana, modern Japanese doesn't use Yi or Ye.
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out? (Some may be easier than others to guess)
ヤフー ____________ This
means ____________
ハレルヤ____________ This
means ____________
ユタ_____________ This
means ____________
トヨタ _____________ This
means ______________
ユース_____________ This means ______________
ヨーヨー _____________ This means ______________
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
ヤフー yafu- This means Yahoo
ハレルヤ hareruya This means Halleluyah
ユタ yuta This
means Utah (State)
トヨタ toyota This
means Toyota
ユース yu-su This means Youth
ヨーヨー yo-yo- This means Yo-yo
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 09
KATAKANA PART 9Let's take a look at Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro. The dreaded "r's" are probably the most challenging sounds for English speakers. Listen to the sound files over and over...
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out? (Some may be easier than others to guess)
アイスクリーム ____________ This
means ____________
アメリカ ____________ This
means ____________
ローソク_____________ This
means candle (not from English)
キレイ _____________ This
means pretty in Japanese (you may know this one already)
テレビ_____________ This means ______________ [NOTE: If you have studied Hiragana, you are familiar with the tenten marks (looks like quotes over the ヒ). It changes the sound from hi to Bi - more on this later...]
ハロー _____________ This means ______________
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
アイスクリーム aisukuri-mu This means Ice Cream
アメリカ amerika This means America
ローソク ro-soku This
means Candle (ro-soku)
キレイ kirei This
means Pretty (kirei)
テレビ terebi This means TV
ハロー haro- This means Hello
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Page 10
KATAKANA PART 10The final page... After years of procrastination (yes, I started these katakana pages years ago...), we are finally posting the last katakana page! (well almost, there is a recap page) It goes without saying, but to really get these characters inside your brain, you need to read, read and read more! Look for katakana on the internet; try to sound out what you find; see if you can figure out what the word means or at least where it came from - Ganbatte!
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Write them out 10 times a day and soon you will get it. To aid memorization, make silly associations to go with them. You can use the above mnemonics or you can make your own!
| STOP!!! |
Did you write the above katakana 10 times? Did you sound them out as well? Well, do it again! And then take the following test & Javascript quiz (see link below)...
TEST
How do you read these Katakana characters? What English words do they sound out? (Some may be easier than others to guess)
ハワイ ____________ This
means ____________
タワー ____________ This
means ____________
チキン_____________ This
means ____________
コーン _____________ This
means ______________
マン_____________ This means ______________
ワシントン _____________ This means ______________
Click here to check your answers
Perhaps you can recognize these 5 in just one day of practice.
ANSWERS:
ハワイ hawai This means Hawaii
タワー tawa- This means tower
チキン chikin This
means chicken
コーン ko-n This
means corn
マン man This means man
ワシントン washinton This means Washington
Think you have it all down pat?
Click here to take the Quiz
Katakana Review
KATAKANA REVIEW
This part is a little different... Take it slow and you should be able to catch on
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