In a normal Japanese sentence, hiragana carries the grammar, katakana picks out loanwords, and kanji mark the content words. You need all three to read, but you can start speaking and understanding with just hiragana plus a few dozen kanji.
Rounded, flowing shapes. The first script most learners study. Covers grammatical endings, particles, and any Japanese word that does not have a common kanji form.
Angular, sharp shapes. Same sounds as hiragana but used for foreign words, scientific names, onomatopoeia, and stylistic emphasis.
Chinese-derived characters, each carrying meaning and typically several readings. Around 2,000 are considered standard for literate adults; we start with the 50 most frequent for beginners.
Most learners begin with hiragana. It unlocks pronunciation of everything else and is the script used in children's books and beginner materials.
IsiJapan akusizi nge-alphabet eyodwa kodwa isebenzisa izinhlelo ezintathu. I-hiragana inezinhlamvu ezingama-46 eziyisisekelo, i-katakana inezinhlamvu ezingama-46 ezifanayo, kanye ne-kanji iqukethe izinhlamvu ezingaphezu kuka-2,000 zokusetshenziswa nsuku zonke. Umuntu ofundile uyazi izimpawu ezingama-2,100+. Abaqalayo baqala nge-hiragana ne-katakana (izinhlamvu ezingama-92 isiphumo), ezingafundwa ngemuva kwamaviki ambalwa.
Qala nge-hiragana, bese katakana, bese kanji. Bhala umhlamvu ngamunye ngesandla habubele isandi salo ukuze wakhele okukhumbula nokubuyela kukhumbula okwesandi. Sebenzisa i-spaced repetition flashcards ngezinhlelo ezifana ne-Anki noma WaniKani. Abaqalayo bafunda kana scripts zombili ngemuva kwamaviki ama-2 kuya ku-4 ngokusebenzisa imizuzu engama-20 nsuku zonke.
Qala ngokukhumbula i-hiragana ne-katakana, okukuvumela ukuthi ukhulume amagama amaningi ngokwesandi. Uma usizile, qala ukufunda i-kanji evamile ngezincwadi ezihlukaniswe ngamagrad zeziqalayo. Ukufunda izincwadi zabantwana, manga enama-furigana (kana encane ngaphezu kwe-kanji), kanye nezihloko ze-NHK Web Easy zokufunda kuthuthuka ngokuqhubekayo. Ukufunda okusisekelo nsuku zonke, noma imizuzu engama-10, kukhawuleza kakhulu isivinini sokubona.
Umthethweni wokudala ulandelela i-gojūon (izwi elingu-fifty sounds) ichart, iqala ngamavaweli あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), お (o), bese か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke), こ (ko), iqhubeke ngezinhlangothi zezinzwi: sa, ta, na, ha, ma, ya, ra, wa, iphele nge-ん (n). I-katakana ilandelela ukulandelela okufanayo.
Ukuphakamisa isiJapan kuyaqiniseka kakhulu: umhlamvu ngamunye we-kana umele isandi elilodwa eliqinisekile. Amavaweli amahlanu (a, i, u, e, o) asikisela amavaweli esiSpanish noma siItalian. Izinzwi zivamile, nge-r esikisela phakathi kwe-l ne-d yesiEnglish. Ngaphandle kwesiEnglish, azikho izinhlamvu ezifihliwe noma izibhalo ezingajwayelekile, okwenza ukuphakamisa kube yokuqagela uma ufunde i-kana.
I-hiragana yinhlelo yesikweleto yabaqalayo. Iqukethe izwi lonke lesiJapan, ivela kumagama okugcina kanye nokugcina kwe-verb, futhi iyisisekelo sokufunda noma yiliphi umbhalo wesiJapan. Ngemuva kokugcina i-hiragana (ngokuvamile amaviki ama-1 kuya ku-2), fika ku-katakana yezinhlamvu zokugcina zangaphandle. I-kanji iyokugcina futhi ifundwa ngokuqhubekayo ngezinyanga neminyaka.
Abafundi abaningi bafunda i-hiragana ngemuva kwamaviki ama-1 kuya ku-2 kanye ne-katakana ngemuva kwamaviki ama-1 kuya ku-2 ngokusebenzisa imizuzu engama-20 kuya ku-30 nsuku zonke. Lokho kukunika kana scripts zombili (izinhlamvu ezingama-92) ngaphakathi kwenyanga. I-kanji ithatha isikhathi eside kakhulu: ukufinyelela i-kanji ye-2,136 jōyō esetshenziswayo nsuku zonke kuthatha iminyaka engu-1.5 kuya ku-3 yocwaningo olunqubekayo.
