reading and writing in japanese for beginners

Katakana represents the same sounds as Hiragana, but is used primarily for foreign names and words of foreign origin. Your first step as a student should be learning to read at least some Hiragana. You’re not alone – every Japanese child had to start the same way. Because it lays the foundation of the entire language, you will be learning Hiragana first.

Hiragana is the main writing system used to represent every possible Japanese sound that will ever reach your ears. In that case, we have more tools to help you get started. Keep in mind that everyone has there favorite way of learning, so maybe flashcards isn’t your thing. The four boxes you see on the bottom of the cards are for practicing the “stroke order” which we will talk more about later. Doing this will expand your vocabulary while honing your reading skills at the same time. Start with the Hiragana or Katakana symbol and then list off examples to practice. If you go with the Do-It-Yourself route, you may find the format on the left quite helpful. Whether you make your own or buy them through us, the use of flashcards is an efficient way to learn Hiragana and Katakana. If you use this learning guide as your primary tool, it won’t be long before you will be reading and writing Japanese like a master!

These scripts are Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji, all of which play an important part in learning Japanese. In Japanese, we use three scripts (also called “alphabets” or “syllabaries”). Read and Write Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji

Reading and writing in japanese for beginners