Translation guide
The Japanese writing system known as kana, consisting of hiragana and katakana. This entry explains how to refer to these scripts in Japanese.
Referring to the Japanese syllabic scripts as a whole.
Referring specifically to the cursive syllabary used for native words and grammatical elements.
Referring specifically to the angular syllabary used for foreign words and emphasis.
Japanese is written with kanji and kana.
The cursive syllabary used for native Japanese words, grammatical particles, and verb endings.
Let's learn hiragana.
The kanji representation of hiragana, used in more formal or academic contexts.
Hiragana developed during the Heian period.
The angular syllabary used primarily for foreign loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis.
Loanwords are written in katakana.
The kanji representation of katakana, used in formal or academic writing.
Katakana was created from parts of kanji.