Language/Japanese/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation
Japanese language uses three ways to express sounds and writing ː Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji.
Hiragana
Hiragana is the most common caracter used to write things. You can find it everywhere, in restaurant name, dishes, train stations...
| あ | A | か | KA | さ | SA | た | TA | な | NA | は | HA | ま | MA | や | YA | ら | RA | わ | WA |
| い | I | き | KI | し | SHI | ち | CHI | に | NI | ひ | HI | み | MI | り | RI | ||||
| う | U | く | KU | す | SU | つ | TSU | ぬ | NU | ふ | FU | む | MU | ゆ | YU | る | RU | ん | N |
| え | E | け | KE | せ | SE | て | TE | ね | NE | へ | HE | め | ME | れ | RE | ||||
| お | O | こ | KO | そ | SO | と | TO | の | NO | ほ | HO | も | MO | よ | YO | ろ | RO | を | WO |
| が | GA | ざ | ZA | だ | DA | ば | BA | ぱ | PA | ||||||
| ぎ | GI | じ | JI | ぢ | DI | ビ | BI | ぴ | PI | ||||||
| ぐ | GU | ず | ZU | づ | DZU | ブ | BU | ぷ | PU | ||||||
| げ | GE | ぜ | ZE | で | DE | べ | BE | ぺ | PE | ||||||
| ご | GO | ぞ | ZO | ど | DO | ボ | BO | ぽ | PO |
Notes ː as you can see, for "W" sound, there is only A and O.
Concering the "Y" section, there is no I or E.
Also, to form some sounds like Z, P or B we have to use some additional symbols to complete basic ones.
゛ Makes K becomes G, S become Z, T becomes D, H becomes B
° Makes H becomes P
Katakana
Based on the same concept than hiragana, katakana is especially made to translate foreign names and words
| ア | A | カ | KA | サ | SA | タ | TA | ナ | NA | ハ | HA | マ | MA | ヤ | YA | ラ | RA | ワ | WA |
| イ | I | キ | KI | シ | SHI | チ | CHI | 二 | NI | ヒ | HI | ミ | MI | リ | RI | ||||
| ウ | U | ク | KU | ス | SU | ツ | TSU | ヌ | NU | フ | FU | ム | MU | ユ | YU | ル | RU | ン | N |
| エ | E | ケ | KE | セ | SE | テ | TE | ネ | NE | へ | HE | メ | ME | レ | RE | ||||
| オ | O | コ | KO | ソ | SO | ト | TO | ノ | NO | ホ | HO | モ | MO | ヨ | YO | ロ | RO | ヲ | WO |
There is a small difficulty in katakana symbols table due to the very similar looking of some caracters ː ノ、ソ、ン、シ、ツ
Kanji
Sometimes, kanji are used to make the sound only, without any consideration for the meaning.