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Your complete reference chart for all 46 basic katakana characters, plus dakuten, handakuten, and combination characters used for loanwords and foreign names.
Basic Katakana
Katakana is used primarily for foreign loanwords, scientific terms, and emphasis. Mastering these 46 characters lets you read menus, signs, and countless borrowed words in Japanese.
| A | I | U | E | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vowels | アa |
イi |
ウu |
エe |
オo |
| K | カka |
キki |
クku |
ケke |
コko |
| S | サsa |
シshi |
スsu |
セse |
ソso |
| T | タta |
チchi |
ツtsu |
テte |
トto |
| N | ナna |
ニni |
ヌnu |
ネne |
ノno |
| H | ハha |
ヒhi |
フfu |
ヘhe |
ホho |
| M | マma |
ミmi |
ムmu |
メme |
モmo |
| Y | ヤya |
ユyu |
ヨyo |
||
| R | ラra |
リri |
ルru |
レre |
ロro |
| W | ワwa |
ヲwo |
|||
| N | ンn |
Dakuten & Handakuten
Dakuten marks turn voiceless consonants into voiced ones: K→G, S→Z, T→D, H→B. Handakuten marks (small circle) turn H-sounds into P-sounds. These work exactly the same as in hiragana!
| A | I | U | E | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G (K+゛) | ガga |
ギgi |
グgu |
ゲge |
ゴgo |
| Z (S+゛) | ザza |
ジji |
ズzu |
ゼze |
ゾzo |
| D (T+゛) | ダda |
ヂji |
ヅzu |
デde |
ドdo |
| B (H+゛) | バba |
ビbi |
ブbu |
ベbe |
ボbo |
| P (H+゜) | パpa |
ピpi |
プpu |
ペpe |
ポpo |
|---|
コーヒー = kōhī (coffee) ·
テレビ = terebi (television) ·
パン = pan (bread) ·
ビール = bīru (beer)
チョコレート = chokorēto (chocolate) ·
レストラン = resutoran (restaurant) ·
タクシー = takushī (taxi)
Combination Katakana
Combine an I-row kana (キ, シ, チ, etc.) with a small ャ, ュ, or ョ. The I-sound is dropped: キ (ki) + ョ = キョ (kyo). The small character is written half-size next to the first kana.
| + ャ (ya) | + ュ (yu) | + ョ (yo) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| KY (キ+) | キャkya |
キュkyu |
キョkyo |
| SH (シ+) | シャsha |
シュshu |
ショsho |
| CH (チ+) | チャcha |
チュchu |
チョcho |
| NY (ニ+) | ニャnya |
ニュnyu |
ニョnyo |
| HY (ヒ+) | ヒャhya |
ヒュhyu |
ヒョhyo |
| MY (ミ+) | ミャmya |
ミュmyu |
ミョmyo |
| RY (リ+) | リャrya |
リュryu |
リョryo |
| + ャ (ya) | + ュ (yu) | + ョ (yo) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GY (ギ+) | ギャgya |
ギュgyu |
ギョgyo |
| J (ジ+) | ジャja |
ジュju |
ジョjo |
| BY (ビ+) | ビャbya |
ビュbyu |
ビョbyo |
| PY (ピ+) | ピャpya |
ピュpyu |
ピョpyo |
A small ッ adds a brief pause before the next consonant and doubles it in romaji. Example: サッカー = sakkā (soccer), ロッカー = rokkā (locker), ベッド = beddo (bed). Listen for the slight "catch" in pronunciation!