N5Lesson 8 of 439 min
Katakana: the second alphabet
Same 46 sounds, sharper shapes. Katakana is used for foreign words, which means many of them are words you already know.
Katakana carries exactly the sounds you have already learned; only the shapes are new. It marks words borrowed from other languages, foreign names, onomatopoeia, and sometimes emphasis, roughly the job italics do in English.
The basic chart
ア行: vowels
アअa
イइi
ウउu
エएe
オओo
- ウ Lips stay flat, not rounded: between उ and ऊ, never puckered like English "oo".
カ行: k
カकka
キकिki
クकुku
ケकेke
コकोko
- カ Sits between क and ख. A light puff is fine; a hard ख is too much.
サ行: s
サसsa
シशिshi
スसुsu
セसेse
ソसोso
- シ Always शि, never सि.
- ス The उ is often nearly silent between consonants: です sounds like "des".
タ行: t
タतta
チचिchi
ツत्सुtsu
テतेte
トतोto
- タ Dental त, tongue on the teeth. Never retroflex ट. This is the most common mistake English speakers make.
- チ Always चि, never ति.
- ツ One sound, not two. Like the त्स ending of "वत्स", followed by a flat उ.
ナ行: n
ナनna
ニनिni
ヌनुnu
ネनेne
ノनोno
- ナ Dental न, not ण.
ハ行: h
ハहha
ヒहिhi
フफुfu
ヘहेhe
ホहोho
- ハ As a grammar particle this is read わ (व). See the particles lesson.
- フ Blown between both lips, not lip-on-teeth. Softer than English "f", lighter than फ.
- ヘ As a particle this is read え (ए).
マ行: m
マमma
ミमिmi
ムमुmu
メमेme
モमोmo
ヤ行: y
ヤयya
ユयुyu
ヨयोyo
ラ行: r
ラरra
リरिri
ルरुru
レरेre
ロरोro
- ラ A single flap of the tongue, closest to the ड़ in "बड़ा". Not English "r", not a rolled रर.
ワ行: w & n
ワवwa
ヲओwo
ンन् / ंn
- ワ Lips barely round: lighter than Hindi व.
- ヲ Pronounced simply ओ. Used only as the object particle.
- ン Its own full beat. Shifts to म before b/p/m, so しんぶん sounds like शिम्बुन.
With dakuten
ガ行: g
ガगga
ギगिgi
グगुgu
ゲगेge
ゴगोgo
ザ行: z
ザज़za
ジजिji
ズज़ुzu
ゼज़ेze
ゾज़ोzo
ダ行: d
ダदda
ヂजिji
ヅज़ुzu
デदेde
ドदोdo
- ダ Dental द, not ड.
- ヂ Same sound as じ. Rare: you will mostly meet it in 鼻血 (はなぢ).
- ヅ Same sound as ず. Rare.
バ行: b
バबba
ビबिbi
ブबुbu
ベबेbe
ボबोbo
パ行: p
パपpa
ピपिpi
プपुpu
ペपेpe
ポपोpo
Combined sounds
キゃ行
キャक्याkya
キュक्युkyu
キョक्योkyo
シゃ行
シャशाsha
シュशुshu
ショशोsho
チゃ行
チャचाcha
チュचुchu
チョचोcho
ニゃ行
ニャन्याnya
ニュन्युnyu
ニョन्योnyo
ヒゃ行
ヒャह्याhya
ヒュह्युhyu
ヒョह्योhyo
ミゃ行
ミャम्याmya
ミュम्युmyu
ミョम्योmyo
リゃ行
リャर्याrya
リュर्युryu
リョर्योryo
ギゃ行
ギャग्याgya
ギュग्युgyu
ギョग्योgyo
ジゃ行
ジャजाja
ジュजुju
ジョजोjo
ビゃ行
ビャब्याbya
ビュब्युbyu
ビョब्योbyo
ピゃ行
ピャप्याpya
ピュप्युpyu
ピョप्योpyo
The long vowel bar
Katakana marks long vowels with a straight line, ー, instead of repeating the vowel. The line turns with the text: horizontal in horizontal writing, vertical in vertical writing.
- コーヒー कोːहीːcoffee
- テレビ तेरेबिtelevision
- パソコン पासोकोनpersonal computer
- インド इन्दोIndia
- カレー कारेːcurry
- アニメ अनिमेanime