Japanese Writing Systems: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji Explained

Three Systems at a Glance

Japanese uses three writing systems simultaneously. A single sentence like 私はコーヒーを飲みました (I drank coffee) contains all three: 私 and 飲 are kanji (meaning characters), は, を, みました are hiragana (grammar), and コーヒー is katakana (loanword).

Hiragana: The Foundation

46 rounded, flowing characters used for native Japanese words, grammar particles (は, を, に, で), verb endings, and furigana (pronunciation guides above kanji). This is where every learner should start. Refer to our Hiragana Chart while studying.

Katakana: The Foreign Script

46 angular, sharp characters representing the same sounds as hiragana. Used for foreign loanwords (コンピューター), emphasis (like italics), scientific terms, onomatopoeia, and brand names. Learn after hiragana — same sounds, just new visual symbols.

Kanji: The Meaning Characters

Chinese characters adapted for Japanese. Each carries meaning and usually has multiple readings: on'yomi (Chinese-derived, for compounds) and kun'yomi (native Japanese, standalone). Example: 山 has on'yomi "san" (富士山, Fujisan) and kun'yomi "yama" (山が見える). The government designates 2,136 "jouyou kanji" for everyday use. Use our Kanji Lookup tool for study.

How They Work Together

The three systems complement each other beautifully. Kanji provides meaning at a glance. Hiragana adds grammatical structure. Katakana signals foreign concepts. In a language without spaces, the visual distinction between systems helps readers quickly identify word boundaries.

Best Learning Order

Start with hiragana (2 weeks), then katakana while reinforcing hiragana. Begin basic kanji once both kana systems are solid. Do not wait to master one before starting the next — overlap your studies for faster progress.