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Kana
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Definition
“Kana” is the general term for the two common Japanese syllabaries hiragana and katakana. A syllabary is a set of characters in which each character represents a syllable. In form, the hiragana are more cursive, like あいうえお, while the katakana have a more angular appearance, like アイウエオ.
Function
The hiragana and the katakana represent the same syllables, but have different functions:
• Hiragana are generally used for all purely Japanese or Sino-Japanese words that are not written with kanji, and in particular for words that have grammatical functions, such as particles and auxiliary verbs. Another important use of hiragana is to represent the inflected parts of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. In fact, one way to distinguish whether a text is written in Japanese or Chinese, for someone who knows neither language, is that a Japanese text will be sprinkled with the round, curly hiragana character の (which mean, roughly, “of”). Finally, hiragana are also used phonetically to transcribe the pronunciation of words written with kanji.
• Katakana are used mainly to represent foreign-derived words, foreign proper names (except Chinese proper names, which are written with kanji), and names of plants and animals in a scientific context. Katakana also have an italic-like use in emphasizing words, in advertising for example.
Each of the 71 kana characters stands for a syllable. But some syllables — 33 in Sino-Japanese words and about 140 in words derived from other languages — are represented by a combination of two (or, in some cases, three) kana characters.
How many kana are there?
The hiragana, like the katakana, consist of 46 basic syllable characters. To these are added 25 more that consist of a basic character with a diacritical mark (analogous to an umlaut in German or an accent mark in French or Spanish). In addition, 12 of the 46 basic characters also come in a smaller size; three of these are independent kana that have their own pronunciation, and the other nine represent a syllable only in combination with other kana.
Order of the kana
Both the hiragana version and the katakana version of the kana characters are arranged in the same sequence, in a kind of mnemonic coordinate system. This sequence begins with the five vowels あ a, い i, う u, え e, お o, from which the Japanese “aiueo” alphabet gets its name. Memorizing this sequence of syllables is just as important for using Japanese reference works as is knowing the ABC sequence of the alphabet in European languages. For this reason, it is advisable to learn the kana in this a-i-u-e-o sequence.
The kana characters are presented in the following tables, which show their form, order, kinds, number, transcription into roman letters, how to write them, and how to input them via a keyboard
The following table lists, in standard Japanese aiueo order, the 256 syllables that occur most frequently in Japanese. The syllables are expressed here not in hiragana but in katakana, the script in which most of them will appear anyway. Syllables that have a lengthened vowel are not listed, for to do so would make the table too bulky to be taken in all at once (and besides, linguists dispute whether a long vowel like ロウ should be counted as one syllable or two).
Put your mouse cursor over a syllable in the table to see how it is written in roman letters (Hepburn romanization).
ア ァ イ ィ イェ ウ ゥ ヴ ウァ ヴァ
ウィ ヴィ ヴィェ ヴゥァ ヴゥィ ヴゥェ ヴゥォ ウェ ヴェ ウォ
ヴォ ヴャ ヴュ ヴョ エ ェ オ ォ カ ヵ
ガ キ ギ キィ ギィ キェ ギェ キャ ギャ キュ
ギュ キョ ギョ ク グ クァ グァ クィ グィ クゥ
グゥ クェ グェ クォ グォ ケ ヶ ゲ コ ゴ
サ ザ シ ジ シィ ジィ シェ ジェ シャ ジャ
シュ ジュ ショ ジョ ス ズ スァ ズァ スィ ズィ
スゥ ズゥ スゥィ ズゥィ スゥェ ズゥェ スェ ズェ スォ ズォ
セ ゼ ソ ゾ タ ダ チ ヂ チィ ヂィ
チェ ヂェ チャ ヂャ チュ ヂュ チョ ヂョ ツ ッ
ヅ ツァ ツィ ツゥ ツェ ツォ テ デ ティ ディ
ティェ ディェ テェ デェ テャ デャ テュ デュ テョ デョ
ト ド トァ ドァ トィ ドィ トゥ ドゥ トゥァ ドゥァ
トゥィ ドゥィ トゥェ ドゥェ トゥォ ドゥォ トェ ドェ トォ ドォ
ナ ニ ニィ ニェ ニャ ニュ ニョ ヌ ヌァ ヌィ
ヌゥ ヌェ ヌォ ネ ノ ハ バ パ ヒ ビ
ピ ヒィ ビィ ピィ ヒェ ビェ ピェ ヒャ ビャ ピャ
ヒュ ビュ ピュ ヒョ ビョ ピョ フ ブ プ ファ
ブァ プァ フィ ブィ プィ フィェ フゥ ブゥ プゥ フェ
ブェ プェ フォ ブォ プォ フャ フュ フョ ヘ ベ
ペ ホ ボ ポ マ ミ ミィ ミェ ミャ ミュ
ミョ ム ムァ ムィ ムゥ ムェ ムォ メ モ ヤ
ャ ユ ュ ヨ ョ ラ リ リィ リェ リャ
リュ リョ ル ルァ ルィ ルゥ ルェ ルォ レ ロ
ワ ヮ ヰ ヱ ヲ ン
Remarks
*
The small kana ッ is romanized as tsu only in geographical names; otherwise it is romanized by repeating the consonant that follows it, as in アッタ atta, or with an apostrophe to represent a glottal stop at the end of suddenly ended syllable, as in アッ a'.
**
The second reading is used only when the character functions as a particle.
Kana romanization tables
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The characters and character combinations in the romanization tables each represent one syllable (apart from nine characters in the table of small-size kana).
::::: Expanded fifty sounds table :::::
a i u e o
- あ ア
a い イ
i う ウ
u え エ
e お オ
o
k か カ
ka き キ
ki く ク
ku け ケ
ke こ コ
ko
g が ガ
ga ぎ ギ
gi ぐ グ
gu げ ゲ
ge ご ゴ
go
s さ サ
sa し シ
shi / si す ス
su せ セ
se そ ソ
so
z ざ ザ
za じ ジ
ji / zi ず ズ
zu ぜ ゼ
ze ぞ ゾ
zo
t た タ
ta ち チ
chi / ti つ ツ
tsu / tu て テ
te と ト
to
d だ ダ
da ぢ ヂ
ji / zi づ ヅ
zu で デ
de ど ド
do
n な ナ
na に ニ
ni ぬ ヌ
nu ね ネ
ne の ノ
no
h は ハ
ha (wa*) ひ ヒ
hi ふ フ
fu / hu へ ヘ
he (e*) ほ ホ
ho
b ば バ
ba び ビ
bi ぶ ブ
bu べ ベ
be ぼ ボ
bo
p ぱ パ
pa ぴ ピ
pi ぷ プ
pu ぺ ペ
pe ぽ ポ
po
m ま マ
ma み ミ
mi む ム
mu め メ
me も モ
mo
y や ヤ
ya
ゆ ユ
yu
よ ヨ
yo
r ら ラ
ra り リ
ri る ル
ru れ レ
re ろ ロ
ro
w わ ワ
wa ゐ** ヰ**
i
ゑ** ヱ**
e を ヲ
o
n ん ン
n
* The reading only when this kana functions as a particle
** obsolete
The above table lists, with their transcriptions into roman letters, the basic characters from the Fifty sounds table and (shaded gray) the characters with diacritical marks that are derived from them. Each cell in the table contains a hiragana on the left and the corresponding katakana on the right, and below them is their romanization in the modified Hepburn system and (after the /) the official Kunrei system of romanization. The Hepburn transcription recommended by the Japanese government can be inferred from the Official romanization rules of 1954. A ん/ン that occurs before a b, p, or m sound is often transcribed with an m, in agreement with how it is pronounced.
What keys to press to input these characters on a computer keyboard is found here.
::::: Table of small-size kana :::::
a i u e o
- ぁ ァ ぃ ィ ぅ ゥ ぇ ェ ぉ ォ
k - ヵ
ka
- ヶ
ke, ga, ka, ko
t
っ* ッ*
tsu / tu
y ゃ ャ
ゅ ュ
ょ ョ
w ゎ ヮ
* Represented in romanization by a doubling of the consonant when used as a glottal-stop sound before a consonant sound (for example, massugu for まっすぐ), or by an apostrophe when used as a glottal stop at the end of an utterance (for example, a’ for あっ). Occurs with the reading tsu/tu only in geographical names.
The kana of the row of vowels aiueo and of the y- and w-rows occur only as the second part of a syllable written with two kana, and therefore do not have a romanization of their own.
What keys to press to input these characters on a computer keyboard is found here.
::::: Ya-yu-yo supplementary table :::::
ya yu yo
-
k きゃ キャ
kya きゅ キュ
kyu きょ キョ
kyo
g ぎゃ ギャ
gya ぎゅ ギュ
gyu ぎょ ギョ
gyo
s しゃ シャ
sha / sya しゅ シュ
shu / syu しょ ショ
sho / syo
z じゃ ジャ
ja / zya じゅ ジュ
ju / zyu じょ ジョ
jo / zyo
t ちゃ チャ
cha / tya ちゅ チュ
chu / tyu ちょ チョ
cho / tyo
d
n にゃ ニャ
nya にゅ ニュ
nyu にょ ニョ
nyo
h ひゃ ヒャ
hya ひゅ ヒュ
hyu ひょ ヒョ
hyo
b びゃ ビャ
bya びゅ ビュ
byu びょ ビョ
byo
p ぴゃ ピャ
pya ぴゅ ピュ
pyu ぴょ ピョ
pyo
m みゃ ミャ
mya みゅ ミュ
myu みょ ミョ
myo
y
r りゃ リャ
rya りゅ リュ
ryu りょ リョ
ryo
w
n
The above supplementary table lists syllables that are written with two characters. In each case, the first character is taken from the Expanded Fifty Sounds Table, and the second character — ゃ, ゅ, or ょ — is taken from the y-row of the Table of Small-Size Kana.
What keys to press to input these characters on a computer keyboard is found here.
::::: Katakana supplementary table :::::
a i u e o
-i
イェ ye
-u ウァ wa ウィ wi
ウェ we ウォ wo
-u ヴァ va ヴィ vi ヴ vu ヴェ ve ヴォ vo
-u
ヴィェ vye
-u ヴゥァ vwa ヴゥィ vwi
ヴゥェ vwe ヴゥォ vwo
-u ヴャ vya
ヴュ vyu
ヴョ vyo
k
キィ kyi
キェ kye
g
ギィ gyi
ギェ gye
k クァ kwa クィ kwi クゥ kwu クェ kwe クォ kwo
g グァ gwa グィ gwi グゥ gwu グェ gwe グォ gwo
s
シィ shi
シェ she
j
ジィ ji
ジェ je
s スァ swa スィ swi スゥ swu スェ swe スォ swo
s
スゥィ swi
スゥェ swe
z ズァ zwa ズィ zwi ズゥ zwu ズェ zwe ズォ zwo
z
ズゥィ zwi
ズゥェ zwe
t
チィ chi
チェ che
d
ヂィ ji
ヂェ je
d ヂャ ja
ヂュ ju
ヂョ jo
t ツァ tsa ツィ tsi ツゥ tsu ツェ tse ツォ tso
t
ツュ tsyu
t
ティ ti
テェ te
t
ティェ te
t テャ tya
テュ tyu
テョ tyo
d
ディェ dye
d
ディ di
デェ de
d デャ dya
デュ dyu
デョ dyo
t トァ twa トィ twi トゥ twu トェ twe トォ two
t トゥァ twa トゥィ twi
トゥェ twe トゥォ two
d ドァ dwa ドィ dwi ドゥ dwu ドェ dwe ドォ dwo
d ドゥァ dwa ドゥィ dwi
ドゥェ dwe ドゥォ dwo
n
ニィ nyi
ニェ nye
n ヌァ nwa ヌィ nwi ヌゥ nwu ヌェ nwe ヌォ nwo
h
ヒィ hyi
ヒェ hye
b
ビィ byi
ビェ bye
p
ピィ pyi
ピェ pye
h ファ fa フィ fi フゥ fu フェ fe フォ fo
h
フィェ fye
h フャ fya
フュ fyu
フョ fyo
b ブァ bwa ブィ bwi ブゥ bwu ブェ bwe ブォ bwo
p プァ pwa プィ pwi プゥ pwu プェ pwe プォ pwo
m
ミィ myi
ミェ mye
m ムァ mwa ムィ mwi ムゥ mwu ムェ mwe ムォ mwo
r
リィ ryi
リェ rye
r ルァ rwa ルィ rwi ルゥ rwu ルェ rwe ルォ rwo
The Katakana Supplementary Table lists one syllable character and 138 character combinations that are used to reproduce non-Japanese words and proper names. The extra character and character combinations in this table are in addition to the traditional inventory of characters in the preceding three tables.
What keys to press to input these characters on a computer keyboard is found here.::::: Orthography of romanization :::::
Introduction
1.
In general, Table 1 is to be used for rendering Japanese in roman letters.
2.
Table 2 can be followed if it would be difficult to quickly change an already established spelling in an international context or otherwise.
3.
In the above two cases, the commentary is generally to be followed.
Table 1
Table 2
a
i
u
e
o
ka
ki
ku
ke
ko
sa
si
su
se
so
ta
ti
tu
te
to
na
ni
nu
ne
no
ha
hi
hu
he
ho
ma
mi
mu
me
mo
ya
(i)
yu
(e)
yo
ra
ri
ru
re
ro
wa
(i)
(u)
(e)
(o)
ga
gi
gu
ge
go
za
zi
zu
ze
zo
da
(zi)
(zu)
de
do
ba
bi
bu
be
bo
pa
pi
pu
pe
po
kya
kyu
kyo
sya
syu
syo
tya
tyu
tyo
nya
nyu
nyo
hya
hyu
hyo
mya
myu
myo
rya
ryu
ryo
gya
gyu
gyo
zya
zyu
zyo
(zya)
(zyu)
(zyo)
bya
byu
byo
pya
pyu
pyo
sha
shi
shu
sho
tsu
cha
chi
chu
cho
fu
ja
ji
ju
jo
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di
du
dya
dyu
dyo
kwa
gwa
wo
Remarks about the tables:
Table 1 shows in the upper-left part the romanization of the 45 traditional kana characters in the order of the Fifty sounds table; below and to the side is the romanization of the characters derived from these basic characters. This is the core of the government-prescribed Kunrei romanization system (kunrei = an official directive). Romanizations that occur for multiple entries are shown inside parentheses.
Table 2 presents only romanizations that differ from those in Table 1. The romanizations in the upper five lines are according to the Hepburn system*, those in line six are according to the Nippon system*, and those in the last three lines are no longer in common use. The romanizations di, du, dya, dyu, dyo, and wo are represented in the internationally common modified Hepburn romanization (which is also followed by the Kana romanization tables) by ji, ju, ja, ju, jo, and o.
* The official document does not name the romanization systems that it contains.
Commentary
1.
The end-of-syllable sound ン is generally to be written n (even when it occurs before the labials b, p, and m and is phonetically assimilated to m: konban, kanpai, kanmuri).
2.
When, in order to prevent mispronunciation, it is necessary to separate an n that represents the end-of-syllable sound from a vowel or y that immediately follows it, an apostrophe ’ is inserted after the n (man’ichi, kon’yaku).
3.
As is done in Italian orthography, glottal-stop sounds are represented by a doubling of the consonant (mikka, massugu, hatten, kippu; sh becomes ssh, ch becomes tch, and ts becomes tts: ressha, botchan, mittsu).
4.
Long vowels are represented by a circumflex ^ over the vowel. But capital letters that are thus lengthened may be represented instead by two vowels, one after the other. (Instead of a circumflex one often finds a macron ¯ employed to indicate a long vowel, especially in printed texts: mā, yūjin, dōzo; for i and (in words of Chinese origin) e, the lengthening of the vowel is expressed by appending an i: oniisan, meishi (but onēsan); in foreign words and names that are written in katakana, the vowels ī and ē bear a lengthening mark if in the original this lengthening of the vowel is indicated by the vowel-lengthening stroke ー: bīru, mētoru, Bētōben (but eito, Supein).)
5.
How to write certain sounds is left undefined. (In the books Kanji & Kana and The Kanji Dictionary by Spahn and Hadamitzky, a glottal-stop sound at the end of a word is denoted by a following apostrophe: a’, are’, ji’.)
6.
The first letter of a sentence or of a proper name is capitalized. In addition, nouns that are not proper names may also be capitalized: Ogenki desu ka?, Nihon, Tōkyō, Tanaka, Genji monogatari or Genji Monogatari, Kanji or kanji.
English translation of the romanization orthography decree, the parenthesized annotations and examples in the Commentary, and notes by W.H. and Mark Spahn.
August 2005, W. H. with Mark Spahn
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