Introduction to Japanese Writing Systems

Overview

• Japanese language uses three main writing systems:
  • Hiragana
  • Katakana
  • Kanji
• These systems are unique as compared to languages like English which use a single alphabet system.

Writing Systems Explained

Kana (Hiragana and Katakana)

• Kana (Kanamuji): Phonetic syllabary (represent sounds)
  • Hiragana and Katakana are grouped together under Kana.
  • Each character represents a sound, similar to English alphabet.
• Kana Characters:
  • Start with 5 main vowel characters: A, I, U, E, O.
  • Other characters are formed by adding consonants to these vowels (e.g., Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko).
  • Each character represents one syllable.

Hiragana

• Used for two main purposes:
  1. Writing sentence particles (grammar particles) which act as glue between terms.
  2. Writing words that do not have a corresponding Kanji.

Katakana

• Used for two main purposes:
  1. Writing foreign-derived words (e.g., トイレ 'toire' from English 'toilet').
  2. Writing onomatopoeia (sound effects like "bang", "boom").

Kanji

• Ideographic Syllabary: Each character can represent both meaning and pronunciation.
• Example: Kanji for water (水) has pronunciations "mizu" and "sui".
• Purpose:
  • Abbreviate sentences making them shorter by using a single character instead of multiple kana.
  • Distinguishes homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings).
• Learning Kanji:
  • Thousands exist, but focus on learning the 2000 most important ones (Jōyō Kanji).

Learning Strategies

• Hiragana & Katakana:
  • Memorize within 1-2 months, column by column (e.g., Aiueo).
• Kanji:
  • Aim to learn 2000 Kanji, focusing on Jōyō Kanji.

Conclusion

• Understanding these writing systems is crucial for mastering Japanese.
• Further lessons will cover in-depth topics on Kanji.