Transcribing to Katakana
Vocabulary
Katakana names
Loan words
English / Japanese translation exercises

In this lesson we will not introduce new grammar. Instead we'll focus on the second syllabic script called katakana (片仮名).

Katakana is used mostly for foreign words used in the Japanese language, but you can also encounter it used for native Japanese words. This can be for purely practical reasons, for instance on electronic displays, since the katakana characters are still easily recognizable on low resolution displays. Or this can be to draw attention to, or put emphasis on a specific word or word group. In this case katakana can be seen as the Japanese equivalent of italic script.

Before tackling katakana it is important to have mastered hiragana. Katakana follows the same gojuonzu (五十音図) or "table of the 50 sounds" as hiragana does. Also the system of variations and combinations found with hiragana returns for katakana. In fact, being familiar with hiragana will help you in that you won't have to pay any particular attention to the dakuon (濁音) or the combinations as the use will come natural to you.

For the standard set of katakana and its variations and combinations please check the katakana page.

Special katakana combinations
Ah, if it only were that simple. Since the number of sounds in Japanese is very limited, the Japanese have had to invent special combinations to represent sounds not found in Japanese. Often however the closest Japanese sounds are used.

Examples of these are the "L" and the "R". As you have seen on the pronunciation page, the Japanese don't have an "L", though in fact the "R" is pronounced as one. As a result the Japanese cannot make a distinction between the two, they can't even hear the difference. Therefore the "L" and "R" receive the same transcription into katakana. Also the difference between the "B" and the "V" is completely alien to the Japanese, so these also get the same transcription into katakana. There are special katakana combinations for the "V" sound, and they do on occasion get a different pronunciation, but generally they are described as "B" katakana.

Combinations with "ye"
These combinations are all constructed by placing a small e (ェ) behind the katakana from the "i" row, ie. シェ (She).

Long vowels
In katakana long vowels are transcribed with a "ー" (chouonfugou, 長音符号) after the syllable of which the vowel is elongated. When using katakana for native Japanese words however all hiragana are replaced by their katakana counterparts. The ー doesn't have a pronunciation of its own.

Double consonnants
These are exactly the same as they are in hiragana. The small katakana tsu "ッ" is used, replacing the small hiragana tsu "っ".

Separating katakana words
Since the Japanese language doesn't use spaces, a sequence of katakana words would be hard to distinguish from one another. For this purpose the Japanese use the "・" (the nakaten, 中点) between two katakana words like the first and last name.

Chinese names
Names of major Chinese cities and of certain nearby asian countries are written in kanji. Sometimes both kanji and katakana can be used.