Unit 1 - Section 5: Katakana - ア行・カ行・サ行
Katakana - ア行・カ行・サ行
Katakana is the second Japanese writing system used for foreign words, sound effects, and emphasis. It has the same 46 basic characters as hiragana, but with a different shape. Let's start learning!
Why katakana? Katakana is primarily used for foreign words (like コーヒー - coffee), animal names, onomatopoeia, and emphasizing words in advertisements or manga.
ア行 (A Row)
| Katakana | Hiragana | Romaji | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| ア | あ | a | Looks like an "A" rotated - sharp angle |
| イ | い | i | Looks like "I" - two vertical lines with a dot |
| ウ | う | u | Looks like "U" with one less curve |
| エ | え | e | Looks like "E" - horizontal lines |
| オ | お | o | Looks like "O" - rectangular circle |
カ行 (KA Row)
| Katakana | Hiragana | Romaji | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| カ | か | ka | Looks like a "K" standing upright |
| キ | き | ki | Looks like an upright "K" with extra strokes |
| ク | く | ku | Looks like a number "9" - "Ku"rvy |
| ケ | け | ke | Looks like a "K" with a right angle |
| コ | こ | ko | Looks like a "C" or box - "Co"zy box |
サ行 (SA Row)
| Katakana | Hiragana | Romaji | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| サ | さ | sa | Looks like three slashes - zigzag "S" |
| シ | し | shi | Looks like a "C" shape |
| ス | す | su | Looks like "スウ" - "SU"per |
| セ | せ | se | Looks like a "/\" - pointy shape |
| ソ | そ | so | Looks like a curved "J" - "SOrry" |
Foreign Words in Katakana
These are common foreign words written in katakana:
コーヒー
coffee
カー
car
ケーキ
cake
スポーツ
sports
アメリカ
America
イギリス
England/UK
カナダ
Canada
サッカー
soccer/football
システム
system
コンピューター
computer
インターネット
internet
セーター
sweater
Study Tips
Learning Katakana:
- Parallel learning: Learn hiragana and katakana side by side - they're paired
- Write character pairs: Write ひ and ヒ, き and キ together 10 times each
- Look for patterns: Katakana uses more straight lines and sharp angles than hiragana
- Foreign words: Practice reading katakana foreign words - they're everywhere!
- Speed matters: Focus on frequent characters first (the A, KA, and SA rows appear most)
Course Navigation
Study Tips
- Read each example carefully
- Practice pronunciation aloud
- Create your own sentences to reinforce memory
- Finish the section quiz