O hiragana and katakana japanese alphabet are the two phonetic alphabets of the Japanese language.
With them, it is possible to write any word in Japanese, be it native to Japan or a linguistic loan from other languages.
They are the most basic part of any student's Japanese learning and should be the first thing to learn.
The vowels of the Japanese alphabet hiragana and katakana
Like our alphabet, the hiragana and katakana have the same vowels, but the sequence in which they are taught in Japan is a little different from ours.
| Vowels | THE | I | U | AND | O |
| hiragana | あ | い | う | え | お |
| Katakana | ア | イ | ウ | エ | オ |
The Japanese Hiragana and Katakana Alphabet - The Other Letters
Unlike our alphabet, hiragana and katakana only have a separate consonant ( ん – N ), the rest of the Japanese alphabet uses syllables. Just note:
| K family | KA | KI | KU | KE | KO |
| hiragana | か | き | く | け | こ |
| Katakana | カ | キ | ク | ケ | コ |
| S family | SA | SHI | SU | IF | ONLY |
| hiragana | さ | し | す | せ | そ |
| Katakana | サ | シ | ス | セ | ソ |
| tee family | OK | CHI | TSU | YOU | TO |
| hiragana | た | ち | つ | て | と |
| Katakana | タ | チ | ツ | テ | ト |
| family of N | AT | NI | NAKED | HUH | AT THE |
| hiragana | な | に | ぬ | ね | の |
| Katakana | ナ | ニ | ヌ | ネ | ノ |
| H family | THERE IS | hi | FU | HE | HO |
| hiragana | は | ひ | ふ | へ | ほ |
| Katakana | ハ | ヒ | フ | ヘ | ホ |
| M family | BAD | MI | MU | ME | MO |
| hiragana | ま | み | む | め | も |
| Katakana | マ | ミ | ム | メ | モ |
| family of R | FROG | RI | RU | RE | RO |
| hiragana | ら | り | る | れ | ろ |
| Katakana | ラ | リ | ル | レ | ロ |
| Y family | YA | YU | YO | ||
| hiragana | や | ゆ | よ | ||
| Katakana | ヤ | ユ | ヨ | ||
| W family | WA | WU | WO | ||
| hiragana | わ | う | を | ||
| Katakana | ワ | ウ | ヲ |
The SHI sound reads like CHI from china, and CHI reads like a T like TCHI.
Read too:
Hiragana and Katakana – Study Guide
Japanese writing system
How to use Japanese alphabet
The accent in the Japanese alphabet hiragana and katakana
In the Japanese alphabet there is also graphic accent. There are two accents (˚ and ゛) that are seen over certain characters of the Japanese alphabet hiragana and katakana modifying their sounds.
| G family | GA | GI | GU | GE | GO |
| hiragana | が | ぎ | ぐ | げ | ご |
| Katakana | ガ | ギ | グ | ゲ | ゴ |
| Z family | ZA | JI | ZU | ZE | ZO |
| hiragana | ざ | じ | ず | ぜ | ぞ |
| Katakana | ザ | ジ | ズ | ゼ | ゾ |
| D family | GIVES | JI | DZU or ZU | IN | OF |
| hiragana | だ | ぢ | づ | で | ど |
| Katakana | ダ | ヂ | ヅ | デ | ド |
| B's family | BA | BI | BU | BE | BO |
| hiragana | ば | び | ぶ | べ | ぼ |
| Katakana | バ | ビ | ブ | ベ | ボ |
| Family of the P | PAN | PI | PU | FOOT | DUST |
| hiragana | ぱ | ぴ | ぷ | ぺ | ぽ |
| Katakana | パ | ピ | プ | ペ | ポ |
GI and GE sounds are read as if they were GUI and GUE.
The double syllables of the Japanese alphabet hiragana and katakana
In hiragana and katakana it is possible to join two syllables to form a different syllable. This occurs in the following cases.
| YA | YU | YO | |
| K (hira./kata.) | きゃ/キャ(kya) | きゅ/キュ(kyu) | きょ/キョ(kyo) |
| s | しゃ/シャ(sha) | しゅ/シュ(shu) | しょ/ショ(sho) |
| Ç | ちゃ/チャ(cha) | ちゅ/チュ(chu) | ちょ/チョ(cho) |
| N | にゃ/ニャ(nya) | にゅ/ニュ(nyu) | にょ/ニョ(nyo) |
| H | ひゃ/ヒャ(hya) | ひゅ/ヒュ(hyu) | ひょ/ヒョ(hyo) |
| M | みゃ/ミャ(mya) | みゅ/ミュ(myu) | みょ/ミョ(myo) |
| R | りゃ/リャ(rya) | りゅ/リュ(ryu) | りょ/リョ(ryo) |
| G | ぎゃ/ギャ(gya) | ぎゅ/ギュ(gyu) | ぎょ/ぎょ(gyo) |
| J | じゃ/ジャ(ja) | じゅ/ジュ(ju) | じょ/ジョ(jo) |
| J | ぢゃ/ヂャ(ja) | ぢゅ/ヂュ(ju) | ぢょ/ヂョ(jo) |
| B | びゃ/ビャ(bya) | びゅ/ビュ(byu) | びょ/ビョ(byo) |
| FOR | ぴゃ/ピャ(pya) | ぴゅ/ピュ(pyu) | ぴょ/ピョ(pyo) |
These are practically all the letters of the Japanese alphabet used to make up the words in your language.
Compared to Portuguese, the Japanese are poor in phonemes, but rich in ways to express their ideas.
Knowing the Japanese alphabet of katakana and hiragana, you will be able to write any word in the Japanese language.