The 46 Characters
You learned 平仮名 (hiragana): soft, curvy, cursive. Its angular sibling is 片仮名 (katakana).
Same 46 sounds. Completely different look.
Where hiragana evolved from whole kanji written in flowing cursive, katakana was carved from components and fragments of kanji. One piece of a character stands in for the whole sound. The result is sharp and boxy, and it reads as “foreign” in Japanese text. That is exactly when you will see it most.
Katakana is often harder to memorize than hiragana. The angular shapes look similar to each other, and many learners need extra time before シ and ツ (or ソ and ン) stop blurring together.
This page has the complete chart, the kanji origins behind each character, visual memory tricks, and the confused pairs that trip up most learners at first.
Katakana vs hiragana: same sound, different shape
Section titled “Katakana vs hiragana: same sound, different shape”Both scripts represent the same Japanese syllables. If you can read hiragana, you already know the sounds. You just need to learn new shapes.
| Feature | Hiragana ひらがな | Katakana カタカナ |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Cursive simplification of whole kanji | Selected components from kanji |
| Appearance | Curvy, rounded, flowing | Angular, straight lines, sharp corners |
| Primary use | Native words, grammar, particles | Foreign loanwords, emphasis, onomatopoeia |
| Feel | Soft, everyday, “Japanese” | Sharp, imported, “international” |
Because katakana came from kanji fragments, many source characters will look familiar if you read Chinese: 二 (two), 八 (eight), 三 (three), 千 (thousand), 天 (heaven/sky), 女 (woman), 止 (stop). The task is learning which piece of each character became a Japanese syllable marker.
The complete katakana chart
Section titled “The complete katakana chart”Each cell shows katakana / hiragana (same sound), with romaji below.
| Row | a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ行 | ア / あa | イ / いi | ウ / うu | エ / えe | オ / おo |
| か行 | カ / かka | キ / きki | ク / くku | ケ / けke | コ / こko |
| さ行 | サ / さsa | シ / しshi | ス / すsu | セ / せse | ソ / そso |
| た行 | タ / たta | チ / ちchi | ツ / つtsu | テ / てte | ト / とto |
| な行 | ナ / なna | ニ / にni | ヌ / ぬnu | ネ / ねne | ノ / のno |
| は行 | ハ / はha | ヒ / ひhi | フ / ふfu | ヘ / へhe | ホ / ほho |
| ま行 | マ / まma | ミ / みmi | ム / むmu | メ / めme | モ / もmo |
| や行 | ヤ / やya | — | ユ / ゆyu | — | ヨ / よyo |
| ら行 | ラ / らra | リ / りri | ル / るru | レ / れre | ロ / ろro |
| わ行 | ワ / わwa | — | — | — | ヲ / をwo |
| ん | ン / んn | ||||
Sharp katakana in a sentence often marks a foreign loanword. コンビニ is a convenience store. テレビ is television. The script itself can be a decoding hint.
Listen to a few key characters — especially the ones that double as kanji you already know:
- カ (ka)
Listen — from 加 (jiā) - ニ (ni)
Listen — literally the kanji 二 (èr) - シ (shi)
Listen — watch the horizontal “eyes” - ツ (tsu)
Listen — watch the vertical dots
Where katakana came from: kanji components
Section titled “Where katakana came from: kanji components”Unlike hiragana (cursive whole-kanji shorthand), each katakana was taken from a specific part of a kanji: often the left side, top, or a radical. Buddhist monks in the 9th century used these fragments as pronunciation guides for reading Chinese texts.
| Katakana | From kanji | Mandarin connection | Component logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| ア | 阿 | ā (as in 阿里) | Left radical of 阿 |
| イ | 伊 | yī (伊豆, place name) | Left side of 伊 |
| ウ | 宇 | yǔ (宇宙 universe) | Top of 宇 |
| エ | 江 | jiāng (长江 Yangtze) | Left radical of 江 |
| オ | 於 | yú (於是 thus) | Left part of 於 |
| カ | 加 | jiā (增加 increase) | Left radical of 加 |
| キ | 幾 | jǐ (几乎 almost) | Top-left of 幾 |
| ク | 久 | jiǔ (很久 long time) | Left part of 久 |
| ケ | 介 | jiè (介绍 introduce) | Top of 介 |
| コ | 己 | jǐ (自己 self) | Lower part of 己 |
| サ | 散 | sàn (分散 scatter) | Left radical of 散 |
| シ | 之 | zhī (之一 one of) | Top stroke of 之 |
| ス | 須 | xū (必须 must) | Left part of 須 |
| セ | 世 | shì (世界 world) | Top of 世 |
| ソ | 曽 | céng (once, classical) | Top-left of 曽 |
| タ | 多 | duō (很多 many) | Left part of 多 |
| チ | 千 | qiān (一千 thousand) | Top of 千 |
| ツ | 川 | chuān (四川 Sichuan) | Top-right strokes of 川 |
| テ | 天 | tiān (今天 today) | Top of 天 |
| ト | 止 | zhǐ (停止 stop) | Top of 止 |
| ナ | 奈 | nài (奈良 Nara) | Left part of 奈 |
| ニ | 二 | èr (第二 second) | The character itself! |
| ヌ | 奴 | nú (奴隶 slave, classical) | Left radical of 奴 |
| ネ | 祢 | mí ( ancestral tablet) | Left part of 祢 |
| ノ | 乃 | nǎi (乃是 is precisely) | First stroke of 乃 |
| ハ | 八 | bā (八月 August) | The character itself! |
| ヒ | 比 | bǐ (比较 compare) | Left part of 比 |
| フ | 不 | bù (不是 not) | Top of 不 |
| ヘ | 部 | bù (部分 part) | Top-right of 部 |
| ホ | 保 | bǎo (保护 protect) | Left part of 保 |
| マ | 末 | mò (周末 weekend) | Top of 末 |
| ミ | 三 | sān (第三 third) | The character itself! |
| ム | 牟 | móu (牟利 profit, classical) | Top of 牟 |
| メ | 女 | nǚ (女人 woman) | Left part of 女 |
| モ | 毛 | máo (毛巾 towel) | Top of 毛 |
| ヤ | 也 | yě (也是 also) | Top-left of 也 |
| ユ | 由 | yóu (理由 reason) | Top of 由 |
| ヨ | 與 | yǔ (與其 rather) | Top-left of 與 |
| ラ | 良 | liáng (良好 good) | Left part of 良 |
| リ | 利 | lì (利益 benefit) | Right part of 利 |
| ル | 流 | liú (流行 popular) | Right part of 流 |
| レ | 礼 | lǐ (礼物 gift) | Left part of 礼 |
| ロ | 呂 | lǚ (姓吕 surname) | The enclosure shape of 呂 |
| ワ | 和 | hé (和平 peace) | Left part of 和 |
| ヲ | 乎 | hū (classical particle) | Top-left of 乎 |
| ン | 尓 | ěr (你 classical “you”) | Bottom-right of 尓 |
Visual memory tricks, row by row
Section titled “Visual memory tricks, row by row”Katakana rewards visual imagination. Here are mnemonics that learners actually use. Pick the ones that stick for you.
あ行: the vowel row
Section titled “あ行: the vowel row”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| ア | An axe blade: two diagonal strokes cutting down. “A” for axe. |
| イ | A person standing in profile: one vertical line, like イ in “individual.” |
| ウ | A u-shaped smile under a roof, or “woo!” with arms up. |
| エ | An elevator shaft: three horizontal platforms going down. |
| オ | An operating lever on a machine. The hook on the right is the handle. |
か行: the K-row
Section titled “か行: the K-row”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| カ | A katana blade with a guard: sharp, like katakana itself. |
| キ | A kite tail fluttering: three strokes like a tail on a string. |
| ク | A bird’s curved beak pointing left. One sharp corner. |
| ケ | A keyhole or open gate. The angle is the doorway. |
| コ | A corner: an L-shaped box, like the corner of a room. |
さ行: watch out for シ and ソ
Section titled “さ行: watch out for シ and ソ”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| サ | Sand pouring: three strokes falling left to right. |
| シ | A shining smiley face :) Two dots for eyes, one stroke for mouth. Eyes are horizontal. |
| ス | Surfing down a wave: one stroke slides down diagonally. |
| セ | A seat viewed from above: an open square with a crossbar. |
| ソ | A sock hanging on a line. Strokes go vertical, top to bottom. |
た行: the tsu trap
Section titled “た行: the tsu trap”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| タ | Tack/nail hammered at an angle: two strokes crossing. |
| チ | Child’s head with a single curl of hair on top. |
| ツ | Tsu: two dots (tsu = two!) plus a stroke. Dots are vertical, stacked. |
| テ | A tennis net: the classic T-shape with a crossbar. |
| ト | A totemic pole: one vertical with a hat on top. |
な行: kanji you know
Section titled “な行: kanji you know”Three katakana are literally kanji from first grade: ニ from 二, ハ from 八, ミ from 三. When you see ニ, think 二 (èr) with the Japanese reading ni.
| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| ナ | Crossed nails or the left piece of 奈. |
| ニ | It is the kanji 二 (two)! Pronounced ni. |
| ヌ | A noodle looping: one continuous curved stroke. |
| ネ | A net with a knot: cross shape with a loop. |
| ノ | A note mark: one diagonal slash, like ノ in “note.” |
は行: the H-row
Section titled “は行: the H-row”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| ハ | It is the kanji 八 (eight)! Two strokes opening like wings. |
| ヒ | A hill with two peaks, or a person kicking (ヒ). |
| フ | Funny bone: a hook shape, like half a smile turned sideways. |
| ヘ | It is the kanji へ (direction “to”): a mountain peak or arrowhead. |
| ホ | A hospital cross with a roof: the H-shape of ホ. |
ま行: don’t confuse with ア
Section titled “ま行: don’t confuse with ア”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| マ | A mask with a flat top: three strokes, flat roof on top. Compare to ア (axe, no flat top). |
| ミ | It is the kanji 三 (three)! Three horizontal lines. |
| ム | A mustache or cow muzzle: angular V-shape. |
| メ | A mesh/net with an X inside: from 女’s crossed legs. |
| モ | A morse code box: a rectangle with a line inside. |
や行: only three characters
Section titled “や行: only three characters”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| ヤ | A yacht sail: one stroke with a hook. |
| ユ | A yuni (uni/uniform) collar: U-shaped bottom. |
| ヨ | Three shelves in a yoga studio: three horizontal lines stacked. |
ら行: the R-row (sounds like L to English ears)
Section titled “ら行: the R-row (sounds like L to English ears)”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| ラ | A rack for hanging clothes: one stroke with a hook. |
| リ | Two river reeds standing side by side: two vertical strokes. |
| ル | A rubber band loop: one stroke loops back. |
| レ | A reclining chair: one corner, like an L. |
| ロ | A robot mouth: a square box (mouth open). |
わ行 and ん
Section titled “わ行 and ん”| Kana | Trick |
|---|---|
| ワ | A water splash: one stroke curving like a wave. |
| ヲ | Rare in modern text. Think “whoa!” with a hook. Used mainly in grammar (を). |
| ン | A nose in profile: one stroke, curved tail. Never has dots. Compare ソ (vertical strokes, has “feet”). |
Commonly confused pairs, side by side
Section titled “Commonly confused pairs, side by side”| Pair | Character 1 | Character 2 | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|---|
| シ / ツ | シ (shi) | ツ (tsu) | シ: eyes horizontal (smiley). ツ: dots vertical (tsu = two). |
| ソ / ン | ソ (so) | ン (n) | ソ: two strokes, written top→bottom. ン: one stroke, tail sweeps left. |
| ア / マ | ア (a) | マ (ma) | ア: open V-shape (axe). マ: flat roof on top (mask). |
| シ / ソ | シ (shi) | ソ (so) | シ: dots on the left. ソ: dots on the right, vertical flow. |
| ク / ワ | ク (ku) | ワ (wa) | ク: sharp corner, no hook. ワ: curved hook at the bottom. |
| タ / ク | タ (ta) | ク (ku) | タ: two strokes crossing. ク: one stroke, open angle. |
Special katakana: foreign sounds
Section titled “Special katakana: foreign sounds”Standard katakana covers native Japanese syllables. Foreign words need sounds Japanese does not have: fa, fi, fe, fo, va, ti, di, and more. Modern Japanese solves this by combining katakana with small ァィゥェォ (small vowels) or adding new characters.
Menus, packaging, and shop signs often use katakana even when kanji would work, because it signals something imported or modern. カフェ (café), バーガー (burger), and セール (sale) show up constantly in commercial text.
Small vowel combinations (ファ行)
Section titled “Small vowel combinations (ファ行)”Adding a small vowel after a consonant row creates new sounds:
| Base | + ァ (a) | + ィ (i) | + ェ (e) | + ォ (o) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ファ行 (f-) | ファ fa | フィ fi | フェ fe | フォ fo |
| ティ行 (t-) | タァ taa | ティ ti | テェ tee | トォ too |
| ディ行 (d-) | ダァ daa | ディ di | デェ dee | ドォ doo |
| ウィ/ウェ/ウォ (w-) | ワァ waa | ウィ wi | ウェ we | ウォ wo |
Other foreign-sound katakana
Section titled “Other foreign-sound katakana”| Katakana | Reading | Used for | Example word |
|---|---|---|---|
| ヴ | vu / va | V-sounds (rare) | ヴァイオリン (violin) |
| ヴァ | va | “va” | ヴァンパイア (vampire) |
| ヴィ | vi | “vi” | ヴィタミン (vitamin) |
| ヴェ | ve | “ve” | ヴェール (veil) |
| ヴォ | vo | “vo” | ヴォーカル (vocal) |
| シェ | she | “she” | シェフ (chef) |
| ジェ | je | “je” | ジャージ (jersey) |
| チェ | che | “che” | チェック (check) |
| ティ | ti | “ti” (not chi) | パーティー (party) |
| ディ | di | “di” (not ji) | ディナー (dinner) |
| トゥ | tu | “tu” (not tsu) | トゥモロー (tomorrow, in songs/titles) |
| ドゥ | du | “du” | ドゥー (do, in musical terms) |
| ファ | fa | “fa” | ファミリー (family) |
| フィ | fi | “fi” | フィルム (film) |
| フェ | fe | “fe” | フェス (festival) |
| フォ | fo | “fo” | フォーク (fork) |
Quick self-check
Section titled “Quick self-check”Before moving on, can you answer these?
- What kanji is ニ taken from? → 二 (two)
- Which has a flat top: ア or マ? → マ
- Which has vertical dots: シ or ツ? → ツ
- What English word might コンピューター be? → computer
- How do you write “fa” in katakana? → ファ
If you missed one or two, review the comparison table above and drill the さ行 and た行 pairs until they feel automatic. When you are ready, continue to the next lesson on English loanwords in katakana and start reading words like コンピューター and レストラン in context.