KERO LEARNS JAPANESE YouTube
All katakana lessons

SENSEI’S QUICK LESSON

What is カタカナ?

Katakana. Hiragana’s sharp, pointy twin. It loves loud words!

Sensei, Kero’s calm teacher.

Sensei explains

  1. CARD 1 OF 4

    Hiragana’s pointy twin

    Katakana makes the same 46 sounds as hiragana, in the same order. Only the shapes are new: straighter and sharper.

    • あいうえおa i u e oHiragana
    • アイウエオa i u e oKatakana: same sounds!

  2. CARD 2 OF 4

    Words from other countries

    When Japanese borrows a word from another language, it writes it in katakana.

    • アイスaisuIce cream
    • トイレtoireToilet
    • コーヒーkoohiiCoffee

    Names from other countries use katakana too.

  3. CARD 3 OF 4

    Boom! Bang! ドーン!

    Katakana is also for sound effects. Open any manga and the crashes and bangs are written in katakana.

    • ドーンdoonBoom!
    • バンbanBang!

    It is the letters that shout.

  4. CARD 4 OF 4

    Why it comes second

    If you know hiragana, you already know every katakana sound. You just learn the new shapes.

    • ケロkeroKero, in katakana

4 QUICK QUESTIONS

Did it stick?

Everything here was on the cards. No tricks!