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Beginner

Hiragana vs Katakana: When to Use Which (With Practice Sheet)

New to Japanese? Understanding the difference between the two writing systems is your first step to literacy.

01 · Essay

Japanese has three writing systems — but as a beginner, you only need to focus on two: Hiragana and Katakana.

01Hiragana (ひらがな)

Used for native Japanese words, grammatical particles, and verb conjugations. This is the system you'll encounter most often.

02Katakana (カタカナ)

Used for foreign loanwords, names, scientific terms, and emphasis. If you see a word written in Katakana, it's likely borrowed from English or another language.

03Quick rule of thumb

If it's a Japanese-origin word — Hiragana. If it's foreign — Katakana. If it's a concept — often Kanji (which you'll learn later).

Field notes from the academyFiled under · BeginnerBy Sakura YamamotoUpdated weekly during termFree to read · Free to shareField notes from the academyFiled under · BeginnerBy Sakura YamamotoUpdated weekly during termFree to read · Free to shareField notes from the academyFiled under · BeginnerBy Sakura YamamotoUpdated weekly during termFree to read · Free to shareField notes from the academyFiled under · BeginnerBy Sakura YamamotoUpdated weekly during termFree to read · Free to share

02 · Keep reading

03 · Ready to put theory into practice?

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