Hiragana vs katakana vs kanji
Hiragana and katakana write the same basic sounds in different shapes. Hiragana often writes grammar and words; katakana often writes loanwords and names. Kanji carry meanings and readings.
One sentence, three scripts
わたしは (hiragana)コーヒー (katakana)を (hiragana)飲 (kanji)みます (hiragana)。
Solid: hiragana · Dashed: katakana · Double: kanji
watashi wa koohii o nomimasu
I drink coffee.
The three scripts compared
| Feature | Hiragana | Katakana | Kanji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writes | Grammar and Japanese words | Often loanwords and foreign names | Meaningful word parts |
| Looks | Often rounder | Often straighter | Built from parts |
| How many | 46 basic | 46 basic | 2,136 for general use |
| Example | ねこ neko, cat | パン pan, bread | 山 yama, mountain |
Same sounds, different shapes
Look-alikes across scripts
The first five pairs are vowels. The other seven have the same reading and similar shapes; they are not all identical.
- へ / ヘ: These can look the same. The surrounding word tells you which script is being used.
- り / リ: The right stroke of this hiragana model curves left at the bottom; the katakana model is straighter. Fonts can make them look very close.
- か / カ: Hiragana か has a separate short mark at the right; katakana カ does not.
- き / キ: The hiragana handwriting model has a lower curved stroke; katakana キ ends with the long slant.
- せ / セ: In this hiragana model two strokes cross the long bar; katakana セ has only one.
- も / モ: Hiragana も starts with the long stroke, above the bars. Katakana モ writes the bars first; its long stroke starts at the top bar.
- や / ヤ: Hiragana や has a separate short upper mark in the handwriting model; katakana ヤ does not.
When to use hiragana, katakana or kanji
Use the spelling a word normally has. Hiragana is common for particles and verb endings, and for words written without kanji. Katakana often signals a loanword or foreign name; it can also add emphasis or write a sound effect. Kanji helps distinguish words that sound alike.
Is it hiragana or katakana? Real examples
- こんにちは — hiragana, a greeting.
- アニメ and ラーメン — katakana, words you may meet on a menu or sign.
- 東京 — kanji, Tokyo.
- まんが / マンガ / 漫画 — the same word can appear in different scripts depending on the text.
Questions about hiragana, katakana and kanji
Which script is used more?
Ordinary Japanese mixes all three. Hiragana often supplies particles and word endings, kanji many word stems, and katakana loanwords and emphasis. The balance depends on the text; there is no one percentage for every kind of writing.
Which should I learn first?
Start with hiragana for MiniMachi’s beginner path, then learn katakana. Learn useful kanji alongside words; you do not need to master every kanji before reading simple sentences. If you need a menu or name in katakana now, learn those characters alongside hiragana.
Is katakana harder than hiragana?
Both have 46 basic characters. Some katakana shapes look similar, and you may meet them less often at first. Practice telling similar pairs apart and reading them inside words.
Why are there two kana scripts?
Both developed from kanji used for their sounds. Hiragana grew from flowing forms and katakana from parts of characters. They came to serve different jobs in writing.
How many characters are there?
Hiragana and katakana each have 46 basic characters. Marks and small kana add sounds and spelling patterns. Kanji is a much larger system; the official list for general use has 2,136 characters.
What is furigana?
Furigana are small kana beside or above a word showing how to read it. They often help readers with kanji; in 飲みます, the kanji 飲 is read の.
飲みます
What is romaji?
Romaji writes Japanese sounds with Latin letters. It is a reading aid and an input method, rather than another Japanese script. It does not show every spelling distinction: じ and ぢ, for example, are both usually read ji in standard Japanese.
Do hiragana and katakana sound the same?
The corresponding basic characters represent the same sounds: あ and ア are both a. Katakana also has common combinations for loanword sounds and uses ー for a long vowel, as in コーヒー.
Can you mix them in one sentence?
Yes. The sentence above uses hiragana for わたし, は, を and the verb ending; katakana for コーヒー; and kanji for 飲. This mixture is ordinary Japanese writing.
Check yourself: name the script
Identify the script, one item at a time. Nothing is saved.
- ねこ
Show script
Hiragana: Both characters are hiragana.
Hiragana: Both characters are hiragana.
- カフェ
Show script
Katakana: The word is written in katakana; it is a loanword.
Katakana: The word is written in katakana; it is a loanword.
- 東京
Show script
Kanji: These are the two kanji used to write Tokyo.
Kanji: These are the two kanji used to write Tokyo.
- は
Show script
Hiragana: This is hiragana は. In a word its reading is usually ha; as a topic particle it is read wa.
Hiragana: This is hiragana は. In a word its reading is usually ha; as a topic particle it is read wa.
- パン
Show script
Katakana: Both characters are katakana; パ has handakuten.
Katakana: Both characters are katakana; パ has handakuten.
- を
Show script
Hiragana: The object particle を is written in hiragana.
Hiragana: The object particle を is written in hiragana.
Where to go next
About this page
Teaching content is a draft; Japanese educator review is pending. Audio is not available on this page. Kana drawings: KanjiVG, Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.