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Let’s study the Hiragana & Katakana Lists with easy to understand pictures!

Let’s study the Hiragana & Katakana Lists with easy to understand pictures!

2022.07.12

Japanese letters

Japanese language is written using three types of letters below.

  1. Hiragana (phonetic sounds) only represent sounds and used for particles, words and parts of words.
  2. katakana (phonetic sounds) are only represent sounds and used to describe foreign words.
  3. Kanji (Chinese characters) have their own meanings.

Here we will learn Hiragana and Katakana.

あ行
A
か行
KA
さ行
SA
た行
TA
な行
NA
は行
HA
ま行
MA
や行
YA
ら行
RA
わ行
WA
ア行
A
カ行
KA
サ行
SA
タ行
TA
ナ行
NA
ハ行
HA
マ行
MA
ヤ行
YA
ラ行
RA
ワ行
WA

See Japanese special pronunciation

Hiragana List with Romaji

Hiragana is called Man’yogana and began to be used to describe the sounds of kanji around the 5th century in Japan.

あ行 (A column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
あa 
あaめme
(雨ame / Rain)
いu
いiえe
(家 ie/ Home)
うu
うuみmi
(海umi / Sea)
えe
えeきki
(駅 eki/ Station)
おo
おoさsaけke
(お酒 osake/ Sake)

か行 (Ka column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
かkakasa
かkaさsa
(傘kasa / Umbrella)
きkiki
きki
(木 ki/ Tree)
くkukusuri
くkuすsuりri
(薬kusuri / Medicine)
けkekekkon
けkeっkこkoんn
(結婚 kekkon/ Marriage)
こkokouen
こkoうuえeんn
(公園 kouen/ Park)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
がgagakko
がgaっkこkoうu 
(学校gakkou / School)
ぎgiginko
ぎgiんnこkoうu
(銀行 ginkou/ Bank)
ぐgusaikoro
ぐguうuすsuうu
(偶数guusuu / Even number)
げgetsuki
げgeつtsuよyoうuびbi 
(月曜日 getsuyoubi/ Monday)
ごgogohan
ごgoはhaんn
(ご飯 han/ Rice)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
きゃkyahanasu hito
きゃkyaくku
(客kyaku / Client)
きゅkyukyuri
きゅkyuうuりri
(キュウリ kyuuri/ Cucumber)
きょkyoclass
きょkyoうuしshiつtsu
(教室kyoushitu / Classroom)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
ぎゃgyanami
ぎゃgyaくkuりゅryuうu
(逆流gyakuryuu / Back flow)
ぎゅgyugyunyu
ぎゅgyuうuにゅnyuうu
(牛乳 gyuunyuu/ Milk)
ぎょgyomatsuri
ぎょgyoうuじji
(行事gyouji / Event)

さ行 (Sa column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
さsa sakana
さsaかkaなna
(魚sakana / Fish)
しshishigoto
しshiごgoとto
(仕事 shigoto/ Work)
すsuheart
すsuきki
(好きsu / Like)
せsesentaku
せseんnたtaくku
(洗濯 sentaku/ Washing)
そsogomisute
そsoうuじji
(掃除 souji/ Clean up)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
ざzazasshi
ざzaっsしshi
(雑誌zasshi / Magazine)
じji(zi)jitensha
じjiてteんnしゃsha
(自転車 jitensha/ Cycle)
ずzumaruhoshi
ずzuけkeいi
(図形zukei / Shape)
ぜzeokane
ぜzeいi
(税 zei/ Tax)
ぞzozou2
ぞzoうu
(象 zou/ Elephant)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
しゃshashashin
しゃshaしshiんn
(写真shashin / Photo)
しゅshukaku
しゅshuくkuだdaいi
(宿題 shukudai/ Homework)
しょshoshoyu
しょshoうuゆyu
(醤油shouyu / Soy sauce)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
じゃjajagaimo
じゃjaがgaいiもmo
(じゃが芋jagaimo / Potato)
じゅjujyutaku
じゅjuうuたtaくku
(住宅 jutaku/ Housing)
じょjojoou
じょjoおoうu
(女王joou / Queen)

た行 (Ta column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
たtake-ki
たtaんnじょjoうuびbi
(誕生日tanjoubi / Birthday)
ちti(chi)chizu
ちchiずzu
(地図chizu / Map)
つtsutsukue
つtsuくkuえe
(机tsukue / Desk)
てtete
てte
(手 te/ Hand)
とtotori
とtoりri
(鳥 torii/ Bird)

To type, press di for “ぢ” and du for “づ”.

HiraganaRomajiExamples
だdahito
だdaれre
(誰dare / Who)
ぢzi(di)daisho
ちchiぢdiむmu
(縮む chiji/ Shrink)
Many of the words with “ぢ””ヂ”
are now replaced by “じ””ジ”,
in the following cases, “ぢ””ヂ” is used.
When the same “ち(chi)” sound continues: “ちぢむ” (shrink)
When two words stick together and the sound becomes muddy: “まぢか” (間近madika / near)
Proper noun: Bridgestone Corporation
Foreign language: “チヂミ” (Korean pancake)
づzu(du)keito
てteづduくkuりri
(手作りtezukuri / Handmade)
でdedenwa
でdeんnわwa 
(電話 denwa/ Telephone)
どdokuma
どdoうuぶbuつtsu
(動物 doubutsu/ Animal)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
ちゃchahappa
ちゃcha 
(茶cha / Tea)
ちゅchuchuui
ちゅchuうuいi
(注意 chuui/ Alert)
ちょchochocho
ちょchoうu
(蝶chou / Butterfly)

In modern kana usage,
“ぢゃ”, “ぢゅ”, and “ぢょ” are supposed to be written as “じゃ”, “じゅ”, and “じょ”.
To type, press dya for “ぢゃ”, dyu for “ぢゅ”, and dyo for “ぢょ”.

な行 (Na column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
なnanabe
なnaべbe
(鍋nabe / Hot pot)
にnininjin
にniんnじjiんn (人参 ninjin/ Carrot)
ぬnunuru
ぬnuるru
(塗るnu / Paint)
ねneneko
ねneこko
(猫 neko/ Cat)
のnonomimono
のnoみmiもmoのno
(飲noみ物mono / Beverage)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
にゃnyaneko
にゃnyaー– 
(ニャーnyaa / Meow)
にゅnyunyuon
にゅnyuうuいiんn
(入院 nyuuin/
Hospitalization)
にょnyotennyo
てteんnにょnyo 
(天女tennyo /
Heavenly maiden)

は行 (Ha column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
はhaha
はha
(歯ha / Tooth)
ひhihikoki
ひhiこkoうuきki (飛行機 hikouki/ Airplane)
ふhut-shirt
ふfuくku
(服fuku / Cloths)
へhehebi
へheびbi
(蛇 hebi/ Snake)
ほhohon
ほhoんn
(本hon/ Book)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
ばbagohan
ばbaんnごgoはhaんn
(晩御飯bangohan / Dinner)
びbibiyouin
びbiよyoうuいiんn
(美容院 biyouin/ Beauty salon)
ぶbubuta
ぶbuたta
(豚buta / Pig)
べbekaku
べbeんnきょkyoうu
(勉強 benkyou/ Study)
ぼboboushi
ぼboうuしshi
(帽子boushi/ Hat)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
ぱpapan
ぱpaんn 
(パンpan / Bread)
ぴpipiman
ぴpiー–まmaんn
(ピーマン pi-man/
Green pepper)
ぷpuoyogu
ぷpuー–るru
(プールpu-ru / Pool)
ぺpepen
ぺpeんn
(ペン pen/ Pen)
ぽpopost
ぽpoすsuとto
(ポストposuto/ Postbox)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
ひゃhyakeisatsu
ひゃhyaくkuとtoおoばbaんn (110番hyakutooban /
Japanese emergency police
ひゅhyukaze
ひゅhyuー–
(ヒューhyu-/ The sound
of a strong wind)
ひょhyohyoushiki
ひょhyoうuしshiきki 
(標識hyoushiki / Sign)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
びゃbyakitsune
びゃbyaっkこko
(白狐byakko / White fox)
びゅbyusushipudding
びゅbyuっfふぇfe
(ビュッフェbyuffe/ Buffet)
びょbyobyouin
びょbyoうuいiんn 
(病院byouin / Hospital)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
ぴゃpya800
はhaっpぴゃpyaくku 
(八百happyaku / Eight hundred)
ぴゅpyupyuma
びゅpyuー–まma
(ピューマpyu-ma/ Puma)
ぴょpyopresentation
はhaっpぴょpyoうu 
(発表happyou / Presentation)

ま行 (Ma column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
まmamado
まmaどdo
(窓mado / Window)
みmimimi
みmiみmi
(耳 mimi/ Ear)
むmu6
むmuっtつtsu
(六つmuttsu / Six)
めmeme
めme
(目 me/ Eye)
もmomon
もmoんn
(門mon / Gate)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
みゃmyasanmyaku
さsaんnみゃmyaくku
(山脈sanmyaku /
Mountain range)
みゅmyubijutsukan
みゅmyuー–じjiあaむmu (ミュージアムmyu-jiamu/
Museum)
みょmyotaiyou
みょmyoうuちょchoうu
(明朝myouchoui /
tomorrow morning)

や行 (Ya column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
やyafujisan
やyaまma
(山yama / Mountain)
ゆyuyuki
ゆyuきki
(雪 yuki/ Snow)
よyotsukihoshi
よyoるru
(夜yoru / Night)

ら行 (Ra column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
らrakarenda
らraいiねneんn
(来年rainen / Next year)
りriringo
りriんnごgo
(林檎 ringo/ Apple)
るrudenwa
るruすsuばbaんnでdeんnわwa (留守番電話rusuban denwa /
Answering machine)
れrereizouko
れreいiぞzoうuこko
(冷蔵庫 reizouko/
Refrigerator)
ろro6
ろroくku
(六roku / Six)
HiraganaRomajiExamples
りゃryachizu
りゃryaくkuずzu
(略図ryakuzu / Rough map)
りゅryuryu
りゅryuうu
(龍ryuu/ Dragon)
りょryokaban
りょryoこkoうu
(旅行ryokou / Travel)

わ行 (Wa column)

HiraganaRomajiExamples
わwaonnanohito
わwaたtaしshi
(私watashi / I, Me)
をwonomu
みmiずzuをwoのnoむmu
(drink water)
“を” or “ヲ” is used in
sentences or in conversation,
not as a single word. 
んnshinbun
しshiんnぶbuんn
(新聞 shinbun/ Newspaper)

Katakana List with Romaji

Katakana characters are used for the following;

  • Japanese loan words such as テレビ(television), カメラ(camera), コンビニ(convenience store) and so on
  • Proprietary nouns such as foreign names and place names

ア行 (A column)

KatakanaRomajiExamples
アabiru
アaパpaー–トto
(Apartment)
イiigirisu
イiギgiリriスsu
(England)
ウuhitsuji
ウuー–ルru
(Wool)
エeerebe-ta
エeレreベbeー–タtaー–
(Elevator)
オoaustralia
オoー–スsuトtoラraリriアa (Australia)

カ行 (Ka column)

KatakanaRomajiExamples
カkacamera
カkaメmeラra
(Camera)
キkiou
キkiンnグgu 
(King)
クkuclass
クkuラraスsu
(Class)
ケkecake
ケkeー–キki
(Cake)
コkocoffee
コkoー–ヒhiー–
(Coffee)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
ガganinniku
ガgaー–リriッkクku
(Garlic)
ギgigita-
ギgiタtaー–
(Guitar)
ゲgubudou
グguレreー–プpu
(Grape)
ゲgegame
ゲgeー–ムmu
(Game)
ゴgogorira
ゴgoリriラra
(Gorilla)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
キャkyacamel
キャkyaメmeルru
(Camel)
キュkyucube
キュkyuー–ブbu
(cube)
キョkyokyonshi
キョkyoンnシshiー–
(Chinese hopping vampire)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
ギャgyae
ギャgyaラraリriー–
(Gallery)
ギュgyuushi
スsuイiギュgyuウu
(Asian buffalo)
ギョgyokingyo
キkiンnギョgyo 
(Goldfish)

サ行 (Sa column)

KatakanaRomajiExamples
サsasanta
サsaンnタta
(Santa Claus)
シshieigakan
シshiネneマma
(Cinema)
スsuspoon
スsuプpuー–ンn
(Spoon)
セsesweater
セseー–タtaー–
(Sweater)
ソsosausage
ソsoー–セseー–ジji
(Sausage)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
ザzataiyouame
ウuェeザzaー
–(Weather)
ジji(zi)gym
ジjiムmu
(Gym)
ズzupants
ズzuボboンn
(Pants)
ゼze0
ゼzeロro
(Zero)
ゾzokame
ゾzoウuガgaメme
(Giant tortoise)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
シャshashirts
シャshaツtsu
(Shirt)
シュshucube
シュshuガgaー–
(Sugar)
ショshoomise
ショshoッpプpu
(Shop)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
ジャjajam
ジャjaムmu
(Jam)
ジュjunomimono
ジュjuー–スsu
(Juice)
ジョjojog
ジョjoグgu
(Jog)

タ行 (Ta column)

KatakanaRomajiExamples
タtatako
タtaコko
(Octopus)
チti(chi)tori
チchiキkiンn
(Chicken)
ツtsutsutankamen
ツtsuタtaンnカkaー–メmeンn (Tutankhamen)
テtetento
テteンnトto
(Tent)
トtotomato
トtoマmaトto
(Tomato)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
ダdaBracelets
ダdaイiヤyaモmoンnドdo (Diamond)
ヂji(di)pancake
チchiヂdiミmi
(Korean pancake)
Many of the words with “ヂ”
are now replaced by “ジ”,
in the following cases, “ぢ””ヂ” is used.
1. When the same “ち(chi)” sound continues: “ちぢむ” (shrink)
2. When two words stick together and the sound becomes muddy: “まぢか” (間近 / near)
3. Proper noun: Bridgestone Corporation
4. Foreign language: “チヂミ” (Korean pancake)
ヅzu(du)flamingo
ベbeニniヅzuルru
(紅beni鶴duru / Flamingo’ s Japanese name)
デdekaede
カkaエeデde
(楓kaede / Maple)
ドdodoor
ドdoアa
(Door)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
チャchazipper
チャchaッkクku 
(Zipper)
チョchuchurippu
チュchuー–リriッpプpu
(Tulip)
チョchochocolate
チョchoコkoレreー–トto (Chocolate)

In modern kana usage,
“ヂャ”, “ヂュ”, and “ヂョ” are supposed to be written as “ジャ”, “ジュ”, and “ジョ”.
To type, press dya for “ヂャ”, dyu for “ヂュ”, and dyo for “ヂョ”.

ナ行 (Na column)

KatakanaRomajiExamples
ナnaknight
ナnaイiトto
(Knight)
ニnikani
カkaニni 
(Crab)
ヌnunoodle
ヌnuー–ドdoルru
(Noodles)
ネnenecktie
ネneクkuタtaイi
(Tie)
ノnonote-pasokon
ノnoー–トtoパpaソsoコkoンn
(Laptop)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
ニャnyaneko
ニャnyaンnコko
(Cat)
ニュnyumegami-sama
ニュnyuー–ヨyoー–クku
(New York)
ニョnyosenyo-ru
セseニョnyoー–ルru 
(Spanish; Señor)

ハ行 (Ha column)

KatakanaRomajiExamples
ハhaboushi
ハhaッtトto
(Hat)
ヒhikaba
ヒhiッpポpo
(Hippo)
フhu (fu)fukuro
フhuクkuロroウu
(Owl)
ヘheheri
ヘheリriコkoプpuタtaー– (Helicopter)
ホhopancake
ホhoッtトtoケkeー–キki
(Pancake)
KatakanaRomajiExamples
バbabus
バbaスsu
(Bus)
ビbibeach
ビbiー–チchi
(Beach)
ブbublock
ブbuロroッkクku
(Block)
ベbebell
べbeルru
(Bell)
ボbobottle
ボboトtoルru
(Bottle)
KatakanaRomajiExamples