The Japanese
Writing Systems
Japanese uses hiragana, katakana, and kanji together. Each script has a different role, and learning how they work together makes Japanese writing less intimidating.
Hiragana
A phonetic script of 46 basic characters. It writes grammar, particles, verb endings, and native Japanese words. Hiragana is where almost every learner begins.
View HiraganaKatakana
The same set of sounds written with different shapes. Katakana marks foreign words, names, sound effects, and emphasis — think コーヒー (coffee).
View KatakanaKanji
Meaning-based characters borrowed from Chinese, each with readings and components. Kanji carry the content words: 日, 本, 学, 山, 人.
Learn KanjiHow the three systems appear together
Most real Japanese sentences mix all three scripts. Once you can tell them apart, text stops looking like noise.
私 / 飲 are kanji (meaning), コーヒー is katakana (a foreign word), and は・を・みます are hiragana (grammar).
Kanji carry the core meaning — 日本語 (Japanese language), 勉強 (study) — while hiragana connects them into a working sentence.