Katakana
Emphasized Writing
The Katakana writing system is used primarily for words borrowed from foreign languages. The benifit is that a begining japanese student can quickly recognize English cmmonly used in Japanese.
Note:
Long vowel sounds are accomplished by adding a (–) after the vowel.
Many foreign words are shortened when used in everyday spoken language.
| ア a |
イ i |
ウ u |
エ e |
オ o |
| カ ka |
キ ki |
ク ku |
ケ ke |
コ ko |
| サ sa |
シ shi* |
ス su |
セ se |
ソ so |
| タ ta |
チ chi* |
ツ tsu* |
テ te |
ト to |
| ナ na |
ニ ni |
ヌ nu |
ネ ne |
ノ no |
| ハ ha |
ヒ hi |
フ fu* |
ヘ he |
ホ ho |
| マ ma |
ミ mi |
ム mu |
メ me |
モ mo |
| ヤ ya |
|
ユ yu |
|
ヨ yo |
| ラ ra |
ン ri |
ル ru |
レ re |
ロ ro |
| ワ wa |
|
|
|
ヲ o* |
| ン n |
|
|
|
|
* exception to pattern
| ガ ga |
ギ gi |
グ gu |
ゲ ge |
ゴ go |
| ザ za |
ジ ji* |
ズ zu |
ゼ ze |
ゾ zo |
| ダ da |
ヂ ji** |
ツ zu** |
デ de |
ド do |
| バ ba |
ビ bi |
ブ bu |
ベ be |
ボ bo |
| パ pa |
ピ pi |
プ pu |
ペ pe |
ポ po |
* exception to pattern
** rarely used
Transcribing Contracted Sounds
There are smaller versions of ヤ, ユ, and ヨ; roughly one half the size (ャ, ュ, and ョ). These are used to created contracted sounds. These sounds are a single sylable and are accomplished with a "chopping" analogy to the pronounciation. (pretend to be accompanying a karate chop with these sounds)
| 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 jya |
ジュ jyu |
ジョ jyo |
| チャ cha |
チュ chu |
チョ cho |
| ンャ nya |
ンュ nyu |
ンョ nyo |
| ハャ hya |
ハュ hyu |
ハョ hyo |
| バャ bya |
バュ byu |
バョ byo |
| パャ pya |
パュ pyu |
パョ pyo |
| ンャ rya |
ンュ ryu |
ンョ ryo |
