- Hiragana (46 characters): grammar, particles and native words. Learn it first.
- Katakana (46 characters, same sounds): foreign loanwords, names and emphasis.
- Kanji (2,136 in the official everyday list): characters that carry meaning, used for most nouns and the stems of verbs and adjectives.
- They work together: kanji carry meaning, hiragana handles grammar, katakana marks foreign words.
All three in one sentence
Here’s a completely normal Japanese sentence: I like coffee. Tap the parts to see which script is which.
私 (I) and the 好 in 好き (like) are kanji. コーヒー is katakana, because it’s a loanword. The grammar pieces は, が and きです are hiragana.
Hiragana: the grammar glue
Hiragana is a set of 46 rounded characters, each representing a syllable. It’s used for:
- Particles, the small words that mark the role of each word: は, が, を, に.
- Endings of verbs and adjectives: the べます in 食べます (tabemasu, to eat).
- Native words that have no kanji or whose kanji is rare.
- Furigana: small hiragana printed above kanji to show their pronunciation.
Because hiragana can write every Japanese sound, it’s always learned first. Full chart with audio: hiragana chart.
Katakana: the foreign-word marker
Katakana represents exactly the same sounds as hiragana, in sharper, angular shapes. It’s used for foreign loanwords (テレビ, terebi, TV), foreign names and places, sound effects, and to make a word stand out, a bit like italics.
Learn it right after hiragana. It usually takes about a week. See our katakana chart.
Kanji: the meaning carriers
Kanji came from Chinese and represent meanings, not just sounds. They’re used for most nouns and for the core of verbs and adjectives. The official list of kanji for everyday use has 2,136 characters.
Most kanji have more than one reading, and many are built from simpler parts. 休 (rest) is a person 人 next to a tree 木. Start with our guide to your first 10 kanji.
Why does Japanese need three scripts?
History, mostly. Japanese had no writing system of its own, so it borrowed Chinese characters over a thousand years ago. But Chinese grammar is very different from Japanese, so simplified phonetic scripts developed to write the Japanese endings and particles: hiragana, from cursive forms of kanji, and katakana, from parts of kanji.
Today, the mix has real practical advantages:
- Japanese doesn’t use spaces. The switch between kanji and hiragana shows where words begin and end.
- Kanji distinguish words that sound the same. Japanese has many homophones, and kanji make them clear in writing.
- Katakana flags foreign words instantly, so you know a word is borrowed at a glance.
Side by side
| Hiragana | Katakana | Kanji | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | ひらがな | カタカナ | 漢字 |
| Represents | Sounds | Sounds | Meaning (+ sounds) |
| Number | 46 basic | 46 basic | 2,136 jōyō |
| Used for | Grammar, native words | Loanwords, names, emphasis | Nouns, verb and adjective stems |
| Shapes | Rounded | Angular | Complex, built from parts |
| Learn | First (1–2 weeks) | Second (~1 week) | Gradually, over time |
Which one should you learn first?
Hiragana, then katakana, then kanji, gradually. This order means every step builds on the last: you learn the sounds once, apply them to a second set of shapes, and then attach meanings with kanji.
Ready? Your first five hiragana are right here:
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hiragana, katakana and kanji?
Hiragana and katakana are phonetic scripts with 46 basic characters each, representing the same sounds. Hiragana is used for grammar and native words, katakana for loanwords and foreign names. Kanji are characters of Chinese origin that represent meanings.
Do Japanese people use all three scripts?
Yes. Almost every Japanese sentence mixes them: kanji for the core meaning, hiragana for grammar, and katakana for foreign words.
Can I read Japanese with only hiragana?
You can read anything written in hiragana, such as children's books and furigana. Most everyday texts also use kanji and katakana, so you'll add those step by step.
Why doesn't Japanese use spaces?
The mix of scripts does much of the work that spaces do in English. The switch from kanji to hiragana often marks where a word ends and its grammar begins.