Hiragana (ひらがな) and Katakana (カタカナ) represent the same set of sounds, each consisting of 46 basic characters. Hiragana is characterized by its curvy and flowing style and is primarily used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements. In contrast, Katakana has a more angular and sharp appearance and is mainly used for foreign words, names, and onomatopoeia.
Kanji (漢字) are logographic characters originally derived from Chinese. They are an essential part of written Japanese and are read using two types of readings: On’yomi (音読み), the Sino-Japanese reading, and Kun’yomi (訓読み), the native Japanese reading.
- Japanese Script: Hiragana, Katakana, and beginner Kanji practice
- Vocabulary: 800–1,000 basic words
- Kanji: 100–150 simple characters (e.g., 日, 月, 人, 水)
- Grammar: Basic sentence patterns like:
- これは〜です。(Kore wa ~ desu.) This is ~.
- ～が あります / います。(~ ga arimasu / imasu) There is ~. / ~ exists.
- ～を します / たべます。(~ o shimasu / tabemasu) I do ~ / eat ~
- Listening: Short daily conversations (shopping, greetings, time, etc.)
- Reading: Simple sentences, signs, and short passages
