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The Japanese Alphabet is an elegant system of writing that consists of two main scripts known as the Hiragana and Katakana alphabets.It’s these two writing scripts that comprise the some 100 kana characters that are used to write and pronounce every sound in the Japanese language. Learning the alphabet has always been a difficult task for new students, as the characters often bare little if any resemblance to one another.

Hiragana consists of forty-six basic symbols. It has five vowels, one consonant (n/m), and the rest consist of a consonant vowel combination (such as ka or mi). Hiragana is used to write words of Japanese origins and Japanese names that do not have a kanji.

Hiragana is the first writing system that is taught to Japanese children. It should be your last. Although knowing hiragana is vital to being able to read Japanese sentences, it is best for people who already have a Japanese vocabulary. Sounding out the words in hiragana will not help you unless you know what that word is. If you have a Japanese to English dictionary, you will be able to look up words in hiragana even if you cannot read hiragana. Learn katakana, some kanji, and develop a Japanese vocabulary before you tackle hiragana.

Katakana is hiragana’s counterpart. It has a symbol for the same sounds as hiragana. Some katakana looks similar to its hiragana alternative, but not all do. Additionally, while hiragana is a curved writing system, katakana has a more straight and angular look. Katakana is used to write loan words, foreign names, and foreign places. While knowledge of hiragana won’t help you on a trip to Japan if you don’t speak Japanese, being able to sound out katakana can be quite useful.

There are a number of changes that can take place with the Japanese alphabet characters, such as the dakuten and handakuten. These modifications typically result in different sounds and meanings of characters. One thing is for certain is that learning the kana becomes easier the more you associate mnemonics with each character. In time, learning both the alphabets will become an easy task that you can easily fulfill.

If you’re interested in learning to speak Japanese or simply in learning about Japan and the Japanese language, you’ve come to the right place. Learn more on learn month of the year in japanese and japanese vocabulary for fruits & vegetable

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