Learn hiragana and katakana
Japanese is written with three scripts: kanji, hiragana and katakana. Hiragana and katakana — the kana — each have 46 basic characters, and every character stands for one sound.
Katakana is used mainly for words borrowed from other languages and for names, which is why it is everywhere on Akihabara’s shop signs. Learn it, and a sign like ゲーム becomes “game”.
Start practising (Marathon)
Words you will see on Akihabara’s signs
Each tile is one sound. A long dash (ー) makes the vowel before it longer.
- ラraー—メmeンnrāmen = ramen
- ゲgeー—ムmugēmu = game
- カkaー—ドdokādo = card
- アaニniメmeanime = anime
- ゲgeー—セseンngēsen = arcade
- ネneオoンnneon = neon
- スsuマmaホhosumaho = smartphone
- フィfiギュgyuアafigyua = figure
Marathon practice
Pick the hiragana or katakana rows you want, choose how many characters per round and type the romaji for each one. Free, no sign-up.
Open Marathon