Translation guide
Refers to the modern Japanese kana usage system (現代仮名遣い) adopted in 1946 and revised in 1986, which standardized kana spelling to reflect contemporary pronunciation, replacing the historical kana orthography (歴史的仮名遣い).
The standardized kana spelling rules used in contemporary Japanese writing.
The official term for the modern kana orthography, established by Cabinet notification in 1946 and revised in 1986. This is the standard kana usage taught in schools and used in official documents.
現代仮名遣いでは、「言ふ」は「言う」と書く。
In modern kana orthography, '言ふ' is written as '言う'.
Literally 'new kana usage', a common way to refer to the modern system in contrast to the old system. Often used in discussions about spelling reforms.
新仮名遣いが導入されてから、かなの使い方が統一された。
Since the introduction of the new kana orthography, kana usage has been standardized.
A variant writing of 現代仮名遣い using かな instead of 仮名. Less formal but still understood.
現代かな遣いのルールを覚えるのは難しくない。
It's not difficult to learn the rules of modern kana orthography.
Referring to the reform that replaced historical kana usage with the modern system.
The historical kana orthography used before the 1946 reform. Often mentioned in contrast to the new system. Understanding this helps learners recognize old spellings in classical literature.
歴史的仮名遣いでは、「今日」は「けふ」と書かれた。
In historical kana orthography, '今日' was written as 'けふ'.
Referring to the particular rules that define modern kana usage, such as the use of じ/ぢ and ず/づ.
The rules of modern kana orthography. This phrase is used when discussing the specific guidelines, such as when to use お vs. を for the particle.
現代仮名遣いの規則に従って、助詞の「を」は「お」と発音しても「を」と書く。
According to the rules of modern kana orthography, the particle 'を' is written as 'を' even though it's pronounced 'お'.
This term is primarily used in linguistic, educational, or historical contexts. In everyday conversation, Japanese speakers rarely discuss 'new kana orthography' explicitly; they simply use the modern spelling. Learners should be aware of the distinction mainly when reading pre-1946 texts or studying classical Japanese.
New kana orthography refers to the kana spelling system, not romanization. Romanization systems like Hepburn or Kunrei-shiki are separate conventions for writing Japanese in Latin script.
Literally 'old kana usage', a common term for the historical system. Used in everyday conversation about spelling changes.
旧仮名遣いで書かれた本を読むのは大変だ。
It's tough to read books written in old kana orthography.