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Hiragana and Katakana worksheets

1. Three types of letters 1



2. Roma-ji, Hiragana and Katakana 2
3. Hiragana worksheets and quizzes 3-9
4. The rules in Hiragana 10-11
5. The rules in Katakana 12
6. Katakana worksheets and quizzes 12-22

Japanese Language School, Tokyo, Japan


Meguro Language Center
TEL.: 03-3493-3727
Email: info@mlcjapanese.co.jp
http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp
Meguro Language Center

There are three types of letters in Japanese.

1. Hiragana (phonetic sounds) are basically used for particles, words and parts
of words.
2. Katakana (phonetic sounds) are basically used for foreign/loan words.
3. Kanji (Chinese characters) are used for the stem of words and convey the
meaning as well as sound.

Hiragana is basically used to express 46 different sounds used in the Japanese


language. We suggest you start learning Hiragana, then Katakana and then
Kanji. If you learn Hiragana first, it will be easier to learn Katakana next.
Hiragana will help you learn Japanese pronunciation properly, read Japanese
beginners' textbooks and write sentences in Japanese. Japanese will become a
lot easier to study after having learned Hiragana. Also, as you will be able to
write sentences in Japanese, you will be able to write E-mails in Hiragana.
Katakana will help you read Japanese menus at restaurants. Hiragana and
Katakana will be a good help to your Japanese study and confortable living in
Japan.

To master Hiragana, it is important to practice writing Hiragana. Revision is


also very important - please go over what you have learned several times.

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Roma-ji, Hiragana and Katakana
A I U E O
- a i u e o
K ka k ku ke ko
S sa sh su se so
T ta ch tsu te to
N na n nu ne no
H ha h fu he ho
M ma m mu me mo
Y ya yu yo
R ra ri ru re ro
W wa o
- n,m
n before b, m and p becomes m wichi is pronounced like m in sample.
n m

ga gi gu ge go
za ji zu ze zo
da ji zu de do
ba b bu be bo
P pa p pu pe po

kya kyu kyo


sha shu sho
cha chu cho
nya nyu nyo
hya hyu hyo
mya myu myo
rya ryu ryo
gya gyu gyo
ja ju jo
bya byu byo
pya pyu pyo
Foreign words representation by Katakana
she che je
tsa tse tso
fa fi fe fo
ti dhi dyu
wi we wo quo
va vi ve vo

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Printing





a


i


u




ka




ki



ku




ke



ko

[QUIZ] Write the following words in hiragana.

1. aka (red) 5. ie (house)

2. ao (blue) 6. kaki (oyster)



3. aki (autumn) 7. okii (big)

4. eki (station) 8. ue (on top)

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Simillar
Hiragana

sa



shi


su



se




so
OK
[QUIZ]

1. asa (morning) 3. shio (salt)

2. osushi (o-sushi) 4. osake (sake)



ta



chi


tsu




te



to

[QUIZ]

1. ashita (tomorrow) 3. tokei (watch)

2. chikatetsu (subway) 4. kutsu (shoes)

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na



ni



nu


ne



no
[QUIZ]

1. kono neko (this cat) 3. sono inu (that dog)

2. nani (what) 4. niku (meat)

ha
*wa


hi




fu


he


ho

[QUIZ] Note that the particle WA is represented by , the E is represented by

1. fune (ship) 3. hito (people)

2. hoshi (star) 4. hako (box)

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ma




mi


mu



me


mo

[QUIZ]

1. ame (rain) 3. mushi (insect)

2. namae (name) 4. Moshi moshi (Hello)



ya



yu




yo

[QUIZ]

1. yasumi (day off) 3. fuyu (winter)

2. yuki (snow)


Note that u and o are represented by adding .

1. yumei (famous) 3. kino (yesterday)

2. yofuku (Western clothes) 4. kuko (airport)

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ra



ri


ru




re


ro




wa

particle


n, m
[QUIZ] Note that the particle O is represented by , not

1. kore (this) 5. kuro (black)

2. sore (that) 6. kuruma (car)



3. Sayonara (Goodbye) 7. watashi (I)

4. hon (book) 8. Sumimasen (Im sorry.)

[QUIZ] Similar characters (Write the following characters in hiragana.)

a/o ki/sa chi/ra ta/na

me/nu i/ri ma/mo ru/ro

ke/ha/ho wa/re/ne

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ga [QUIZ]
gi 1. mado (window)
gu
ge 2. mada (not yet)
go
3. sugoi (great)
za
ji
4. Arigatogozaimasu. (Thank you.)
zu
ze 5. denwa (telephone)
zo
6. Komban wa.
particle
da
ji 7. shimbun (newspaper)
zu
de 8. tomodachi (friend)
do

9. ginko (bank)
ba
bi 10. chizu (map)
bu
be
bo

pa
pi
pu
pe
po

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kya gya
kyu gyu
kyo gyo

sha ja
shu ju
sho jo

cha nya
chu nyu
cho nyo

hya bya
hyu byu
hyo byo

pya mya
pyu myu
pyo myo

rya
ryu
ryo
[QUIZ]

1. Tokyo 4. shumatsu (weekend)

2. jusho (address) 5. shashin (photo)

3. Ja, mata. (See you.) 6. shukudai (homework)

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The rules in Hiragana

(1) Long vowels



a is represented by adding .

okasan (mother) mama (so-so)

ii and i are represented by adding .

oniisan (older brother) ojiisan/oj i san (grandfather)

u is represented by adding .

yugata (early evening) chugoku (China)

taifu (typhoon)

e is represented by adding in the words of Japanese origin.

onesan (older sister)

ei is written in in the words of Chinese origin.



Eigo (English) yumei (famous)
sensei (teacher) gakusei (student)

o is represented by adding .

sayonara byoin (hospital) kyo (today)

Domo arigatogozaimasu.

n some words it is traditionally written in .



oki to (ten) tori (street)

(2) Double consonants

Double consonants (kk, pp, ss, and tt) are represented by small . As small indicates
a one-syllable pause, the mouth prepares for the pronunciation of the next syllable.

gakko (school) kippu (ticket) kitte (stamp)
Chotto matte kudasai. (Just moment, please.)
Gambatte kudasai. (Go for it. Good luck.)

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(3) ji and zu are usually written in and . In few cases, they are traditionally written in
and .

sanji (3:00) jisho (dictionary)


chizu (map) mizu (water)

(4) wa using as a particle is written in , not .



Kyo wa doyobi desu. (Today is Saturday.)
Watashi wa nihonjin desu. (Im Japanese.)

Watashi wa nihonjin dewa arimasen. (Im not Japanese.)

(5) o using as a particle is written in , not .

Osake o nomimasu. (I drink sake.)


Sore o misete kudasai. (Please show me that.)

Kore o kudasai. (Please give me this one.)

(6) e using as a particle is written in , not .

Shibuya e ikimasu. (Im going to Shibuya.)


Doko e ikimasuka. (Where are you going?)

Kyoto e ikimasu. (Im going to Kyoto.)

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Katakana in used in the following ways

(1) For words of foreign origin


(2) For onomatopoeia ex. wanwan (bowwow)

(3) For the names of some animals and insects


(4) For the emphasis of some words ex.

The rules in Katakana

(1) Long vowels are represented by a dash, .


(2) Double consonants (kk, pp, ss, tt etc.) are represented by small tsu, .

Printing

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ka





ki



ku


ke




ko

ga
gi
gu
ge
go
[QUIZ]

1. kukk i (cookie) 3. kikku (kick)

2. koku (coke) 4. keki (cake)

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sa



shi




su



se



so
za
ji
zu
ze
zo
[QUIZ]

1. suk i (ski) 4. sakka (soccer)

2. gasu (gas) 5. sosu (sauce)

3. soseji (sausage) 6. kuizu (quiz)

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ta



chi



tsu

te



to

da
ji
zu
de
do
ji and zu are usually written in and .

An aid to the (shi) and (tsu), remembrance and distinction.


Hiragana Katakana
1
shi
2
3
12 3
tsu
Keep in mind the equivalent hiragana, (shi) and (tsu).

[QUIZ]

1. tekisuto (textbook) 4. ch i zu (cheese)

2. suteki (steak) 5. takush i (door)

3. dezato (dessert) 6. sh i tsu (sheet)

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na




ni


nu






ne




no

[QUIZ]

1. tenisu (tennis) 3. noto (notebook)

2. nekutai (necktie) 4. tsuna (tuna)

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ha


hi

fu

he





ho

ba
bi
bu
be
bo
pa
pi
pu
pe
po
[QUIZ]

1. pasupoto (passport) 5. h i ta (heater)

2. pasuta (pasta) 6. basu (bus)



3. kop i (copy) 7. sutoppu (stop)

4. sup i do (speed) 8. sabisu (service)

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ma




mi


mu


me





mo

[QUIZ]

1. hamu (ham) 6. mota (motor)

2. memo (memo) 7. messeji (message)

3. gamu (gum) 8. tomato (tomato)

4. maiku (mike) 9. chimu (team)

5. shisutemu (system)



ya




yu




yo

[QUIZ]

1. yotto (yacht) 3. yuza (user)

2. taiya (tire)

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ra



ri


ru


re

ro

[QUIZ]

1. ruru (rule) 6. taoru (towel)

2. toire (toilet, bathroom) 7. erebeta (elevator)

3. kurisumasu (Christmas) 8. esukareta (escalator)

4. garikku (garlic) 9. kareraisu (curry rice)

5. meruadoresu (e-mail address) 10. makudonarudo (McDonalds)

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wa




n, m

Katakana is not used in modern living.

An aid to remembrance and distinction the (so) and (n,m).


Hiragana Katakana
1 2
so

1
n, m 2

[QUIZ]

1. resutoran (restaurant) 6. hambagu (hamburg steak)

2. ressun (lesson) 7. sosu (sauce)

3. ranchi (lunch) 8. wain (wine)

[QUIZ] Similar characters (Write the following characters in katakana.)

shi/tsu n/so ku/ta ma/a nu/su


sa/na/me ku/fu/u/wa
se/hi/e/ni/mi

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kya gya
kyu gyu
kyo gyo

sha ja
shu ju
sho jo

cha nya
chu nyu
cho nyo

hya bya
hyu byu
hyo byo

pya mya
pyu myu
pyo myo

rya tsa
ryu tse
ryo tso

she je
che quo

va fa
vi fi
ve fe
vo fo

wi ti
we di
wo dyu

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[QUIZ]

1. sukejuru (schedule)

2. chokoreto (chocolate)

3. menyu (menu)

4. dizun i rando (Disneyland)

5. remont i (lemon tea)

6. chekku (check)

7. kompyuta (computer)

8. orenjijusu (orange juice)

9. infomeshon (information)

10. shampu (shampoo)

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