This cheat sheet covers the two main Japanese kana writing systems, hiragana and katakana, along with common greetings for beginning learners. Students need it because kana are the foundation for reading, writing, and speaking Japanese accurately. A clear reference helps students connect Japanese characters, sounds, and polite phrases without relying only on romaji.
It is designed for quick review during class, homework, and speaking practice.
Key Facts
- Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar endings, and particles, such as は, を, and に.
- Katakana is used for foreign loanwords, foreign names, sound effects, and emphasis, such as コーヒー for coffee.
- Each basic kana usually represents one syllable sound, such as か = ka, き = ki, く = ku, け = ke, and こ = ko.
- The five Japanese vowel sounds are あ = a, い = i, う = u, え = e, and お = o.
- Dakuten marks change sounds, such as か = ka becoming が = ga and た = ta becoming だ = da.
- Small ゃ, ゅ, and ょ combine with i-row kana to make blended sounds, such as きゃ = kya, しゅ = shu, and ちょ = cho.
- A small っ marks a doubled consonant sound, such as がっこう = gakkou, meaning school.
- Common greetings include おはようございます = good morning, こんにちは = hello, こんばんは = good evening, and さようなら = goodbye.
Vocabulary
- Hiragana
- Hiragana is a Japanese syllabary used for native words, grammar, particles, and words without kanji.
- Katakana
- Katakana is a Japanese syllabary used for loanwords, foreign names, sound effects, and emphasis.
- Kana
- Kana are Japanese phonetic characters, including both hiragana and katakana.
- Romaji
- Romaji is Japanese written with the Roman alphabet to show pronunciation.
- Dakuten
- Dakuten are two small marks that change some kana sounds, such as k to g or s to z.
- Greeting
- A greeting is a polite word or phrase used when meeting, leaving, thanking, or apologizing to someone.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing up hiragana and katakana is wrong because they have different main uses. Use hiragana for many native Japanese words and grammar, but use katakana for many loanwords and foreign names.
- Pronouncing Japanese vowels like English vowels is wrong because Japanese vowel sounds stay short and consistent. For example, い is always pronounced like i in machine, not like i in bike.
- Forgetting dakuten changes the word because one small mark can create a different sound. For example, か is ka, but が is ga.
- Writing こんにちは as konnichiha in meaning but pronouncing the final は as ha is wrong in this greeting. In こんにちは, the particle は is pronounced wa.
- Relying only on romaji slows reading progress because Japanese texts use kana and kanji. Use romaji as a temporary pronunciation guide, not as the main writing system.
Practice Questions
- 1 Write the romaji for these 5 hiragana: あ, い, う, え, お.
- 2 Match these 4 katakana to their romaji: カ, キ, ク, ケ.
- 3 Convert these 3 greetings to English: おはようございます, こんにちは, こんばんは.
- 4 Explain why a Japanese menu might use katakana for コーヒー but hiragana for a grammar particle like は.
Understanding Hiragana, Katakana & Greetings
Japanese writing usually mixes several systems in one sentence. Kana often sits beside kanji, which carry much of a word's main meaning. Kana shows endings, small connecting words, and the pronunciation of words when needed.
This is why learners must notice which script appears, not just match a character to a sound. Katakana has a more angular appearance, while hiragana is usually more curved.
The difference becomes useful when reading signs, menus, game titles, and product labels. Many borrowed words are written in katakana, but their Japanese pronunciation may not match the original English pronunciation.
Japanese rhythm is built from short sound units called morae. Each kana usually takes one beat. The word がっこう has four beats, ga, small pause, ko, u.
The small っ is not spoken as its own vowel. It creates a brief stop before the next consonant. Missing that pause can make speech less clear.
Long vowels need care too. They last for two beats, even when they seem small on the page. For example, おばさん means aunt, while おばあさん means grandmother.
Katakana often uses a long line, as in ケーキ, to show a long vowel. Romaji can help at the start, but it hides these timing details, so learners should gradually read kana directly.
Greetings carry information about politeness and situation. A phrase can be correct in vocabulary yet sound unusual if it does not fit the time, setting, or relationship. The final part of おはようございます makes the greeting more formal than a casual おはよう.
In こんにちは, the character は is pronounced wa because it works as a grammar particle in this expression. This is an important reminder that Japanese spelling and pronunciation do not always match in the simplest possible way. In class, phrases such as ありがとうございます for thank you, すみません for excuse me or sorry, and わかりません for I do not understand help students take part respectfully.
しつれいします is used when entering or leaving a room in formal settings.
Good kana learning depends on frequent short practice. Write each character in the correct stroke order, then say its sound aloud as you write. Stroke order helps characters stay readable and makes handwriting faster over time.
Pay close attention to similar forms, such as あ and お, or シ and ツ. Their stroke direction and placement matter. Practice reading whole words early, not isolated charts only.
Cover the romaji, read the kana, then check your answer. Listening practice matters because Japanese vowels are steady and clear.
They do not change as much as English vowels. Small daily review is more useful than trying to memorize every character in one long session.