Lesson 2
Katakana: Reading Foreign Words
Why Katakana?
Katakana is one of the three Japanese writing systems. It represents the same basic sounds as hiragana, but each sound has a different character.
Katakana is commonly used for words borrowed from other languages, foreign names, brand names, and sound effects. For example, コーヒー (kōhī) means coffee.
Once you know the sound chart, you can often read a new loanword aloud even before you know what it means.
The Basic Katakana Chart
There are 46 basic katakana. Read across each consonant row and combine it with the vowel at the top: the K-row and the A column make カ (ka).
Some readings are irregular: シ is shi, チ is chi, ツ is tsu, and フ is fu. ヲ is mainly a particle and is usually pronounced o; ン is the standalone n sound.
Katakana practice
The basic katakana chart
Katakana has the same sounds as hiragana, but uses different characters.
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vowels | アa | イi | ウu | エe | オo |
| K | カka | キki | クku | ケke | コko |
| S | サsa | シshi | スsu | セse | ソso |
| T | タta | チchi | ツtsu | テte | トto |
| N | ナna | ニni | ヌnu | ネne | ノno |
| H | ハha | ヒhi | フfu | ヘhe | ホho |
| M | マma | ミmi | ムmu | メme | モmo |
| Y | ヤya | ユyu | ヨyo | ||
| R | ラra | リri | ルru | レre | ロro |
| W | ワwa | ヲo | |||
| N | ンn |
Remember the irregular readings: シ (shi), チ (chi), ツ (tsu), フ (fu), and ヲ (usually o).
Dakuten and Handakuten
Dakuten (゛) changes unvoiced sounds into voiced sounds: K becomes G (カ → ガ), S becomes Z (サ → ザ), T becomes D (タ → ダ), and H becomes B (ハ → バ).
Handakuten (゜) is used with the H-row to make P sounds: ハ, ヒ, フ, ヘ, ホ become パ, ピ, プ, ペ, ポ.
Remember the common irregular readings: ジ is ji, ヂ is usually ji, ズ is zu, and ヅ is usually zu.
Combined Sounds (Yōon)
Combine a character ending in an i sound with a small ャ, ュ, or ョ to make one blended sound. For example, キ (ki) plus small ャ becomes キャ (kya), not kiya.
Other examples are シャ (sha), チュ (chu), ニョ (nyo), and リュ (ryu). The same pattern works with voiced sounds, such as ギャ (gya), ジャ (ja), and ピョ (pyo).
Long Vowels and Small ッ
The long-vowel mark ー extends the vowel sound before it. It is common in katakana: コーヒー is kōhī (coffee), and ケーキ is kēki (cake).
Small ッ marks a brief pause and doubles the next consonant. For example, バッグ is baggu (bag), and ベッド is beddo (bed).
Small ッ is not read as a separate tsu. Pause briefly, then hold the next consonant before finishing the word.
Practice Reading Loanwords
Try sounding out each word before checking its meaning: テレビ (terebi, television), バス (basu, bus), パン (pan, bread), and アイスクリーム (aisukurīmu, ice cream).
Now notice the special rules in these examples: コンピューター (konpyūtā, computer) uses a combined sound and long vowels; バッグ (baggu, bag) uses small ッ.
Read the katakana aloud in chunks, then blend the sounds together. If you cannot recognize a word yet, use its sound pattern as a clue and learn the meaning from context.