Katakana is Japanese's second phonetic writing system, used primarily for foreign loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. The great news? Many katakana words come from English, so you already know hundreds of Japanese words!
Why Learn Katakana Through Loanwords?
Japanese has borrowed thousands of words from English. When you learn katakana, you instantly unlock words like コンピューター (computer), レストラン (restaurant), and ホテル (hotel). You're essentially learning to read words you already know.
The Katakana Chart
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vowels | ア | イ | ウ | エ | オ |
| k- | カ | キ | ク | ケ | コ |
| s- | サ | シ | ス | セ | ソ |
| t- | タ | チ | ツ | テ | ト |
| n- | ナ | ニ | ヌ | ネ | ノ |
30 Katakana Words You Already Know
| Katakana | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| コーヒー | kōhī | coffee |
| テレビ | terebi | television |
| チョコレート | chokorēto | chocolate |
| ビール | bīru | beer |
| タクシー | takushī | taxi |
| バス | basu | bus |
| ホテル | hoteru | hotel |
| レストラン | resutoran | restaurant |
| スマートフォン | sumātofon | smartphone |
| インターネット | intānetto | internet |
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TheLernen's Japanese mode includes katakana practice alongside hiragana — quiz yourself on recognition and reading in both scripts.
Tips for Learning Katakana Faster
- Learn katakana AFTER hiragana — the shapes are related but more angular
- Practice by reading product labels and menus in Japan (they're full of katakana)
- Notice that katakana characters are more angular/sharp than their hiragana equivalents
- Long vowels are marked with ー (a dash) in katakana, unlike hiragana
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