Learn Katakana: Master the Basics & Common Words!
1. What is Katakana?
Katakana (カタカナ) is one of the three writing systems in Japanese, alongside Hiragana (ひらがな) and Kanji (漢字). It is primarily used for:
- ✅ Foreign words (loanwords) – e.g., コーヒー (kōhī = coffee), テレビ (terebi = TV)
- ✅ Foreign names – e.g., ジョン (Jon = John), アンナ (Anna = Anna)
- ✅ Onomatopoeia – e.g., ピカピカ (pika pika = sparkling), ワンワン (wan wan = dog barking)
- ✅ Emphasis in text – Used like italics in English
Katakana Chart (Basic 50 Sounds)
| A | I | U | E | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-row | ア (a) | イ (i) | ウ (u) | エ (e) | オ (o) |
| K-row | カ (ka) | キ (ki) | ク (ku) | ケ (ke) | コ (ko) |
| S-row | サ (sa) | シ (shi) | ス (su) | セ (se) | ソ (so) |
| T-row | タ (ta) | チ (chi) | ツ (tsu) | テ (te) | ト (to) |
| N-row | ナ (na) | ニ (ni) | ヌ (nu) | ネ (ne) | ノ (no) |
| H-row | ハ (ha) | ヒ (hi) | フ (fu) | ヘ (he) | ホ (ho) |
| M-row | マ (ma) | ミ (mi) | ム (mu) | メ (me) | モ (mo) |
| Y-row | ヤ (ya) | – | ユ (yu) | – | ヨ (yo) |
| R-row | ラ (ra) | リ (ri) | ル (ru) | レ (re) | ロ (ro) |
| W-row | ワ (wa) | – | ヲ (wo) | – | ン (n) |
🔹 Foreign Loanwords (Gairaigo / 外来語)
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| コーヒー | kōhī | Coffee ☕ |
| テレビ | terebi | Television 📺 |
| タクシー | takushī | Taxi 🚕 |
| コンビニ | konbini | Convenience store 🏪 |
| アイスクリーム | aisukurīmu | Ice cream 🍨 |
🔹 Japanese Unique Katakana Words
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| サラリーマン | sararīman | Office worker 💼 |
| ノート | nōto | Notebook 📖 |
| スーパー | sūpā | Supermarket 🏬 |
| メール | mēru | Email 📧 |
| バイト | baito | Part-time job 💰 |
4. How to Memorize Katakana Easily?
- ✅ Write and say aloud – Practice writing while speaking the characters
- ✅ Use flashcards – Try matching Katakana with pictures of objects
- ✅ Look for Katakana words in real life – Check menus, advertisements, and signs in Japan
5. Summary & Next Lesson
Today, we learned:
- ✅ What Katakana is used for
- ✅ The full Katakana chart
- ✅ Common Katakana words in daily life
- ✅ Best ways to memorize Katakana easily
Next time, we’ll learn simple sentences using Katakana words! 🚀
If you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to bookmark this blog and share it on social media! See you in the next lesson! 🌸
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We’d Love to Hear From You!
Which Katakana word was the easiest for you to remember? Try writing a sentence using Katakana and share it in the comments! 😊