The Japanese writing system is made up of three main scripts: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Among these, Hiragana and Katakana are known as kana, which are syllabic characters that represent distinct sounds. Mastering these two alphabets is essential for anyone beginning to learn Japanese, as they form the foundation of the language's written and spoken structure.
π€ Vowels - Romaji
Romaji (γγΌγε) is the Romanized version of Japanese writing, where Japanese sounds are written using the Latin alphabet. For example, the Hiragana character γ is written as "a", and γ becomes "ka". Romaji is especially useful for beginners who are not yet familiar with Hiragana or Katakana, as it allows learners to read and pronounce Japanese using familiar English letters. While Romaji is not typically used by native speakers in daily life, it plays an important role in language education, signage, and typing Japanese with a Western keyboard. However, learners should be careful not to rely on Romaji for too long, as it lacks the nuance and structure of authentic Japanese scripts.
When typing using a Western keyboard, you can use Romaji to input Japanese characters. For example, typing "a" will produce the Hiragana character γ, and typing "ka" will produce γ. This method is convenient for beginners who are still learning the kana scripts, as it allows them to type in Japanese without needing to memorize the keyboard layout for Hiragana or Katakana. Whenever you are required to type the kana characters, you will be able to use Romaji to input them. There will be an example of this in the practice section.
Vowels - Japanese Vowels
The Japanese language has five basic vowel sounds: a (γ / γ’), i (γ / γ€), u (γ / γ¦), e (γ / γ¨), and o (γ / γͺ). These vowels are simple, clear, and always pronounced the same way, making them one of the easiest parts of Japanese pronunciation to learn. They are the building blocks of both Hiragana and Katakana, and they form the basis for all other syllables in the Japanese language. (Use the below audio icons to hear the sounds of each vowel.)
γ / γ’
a
γ / γ€
i
γ / γ¦
u
γ / γ¨
e
γ / γͺ
o
These vowels are not just standalone soundsβthey are combined with consonants to form the rest of the kana syllabary. For example, the consonant "k" combines with each vowel to form ka (γ / γ«), ki (γ / γ), ku (γ / γ―), ke (γ / γ±), ko (γ / γ³). This pattern repeats with other consonants such as "s", "t", "n", and so on, creating a structured grid that learners can follow to master all base kana characters.
In addition to the five basic vowels, Japanese has one standalone consonant sound: "nn" (γ / γ³).
γ
nn