Unit 1 - Section 7: Katakana - マ行・ヤ行・ラ行・ワ行
Katakana - マ行・ヤ行・ラ行・ワ行
Learn the final katakana characters! After this lesson, you'll be able to recognize and write all 46 basic katakana characters.
マ行 (MA Row)
| Katakana | Hiragana | Romaji | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| マ | ま | ma | Looks like "M" - "MA"ster |
| ミ | み | mi | Looks like "ミ" - three lines |
| ム | む | mu | Looks like "ム" - "MU"sic |
| メ | め | me | Looks like "メ" - like an "M" |
| モ | も | mo | Looks like "モ" - "MO"dern |
ヤ行 (YA Row)
Note: Like hiragana, the YA row only has 3 characters. There are no "yi" or "ye" sounds.
| Katakana | Hiragana | Romaji | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| ヤ | や | ya | Looks like "ヤ" - angular shape |
| ユ | ゆ | yu | Looks like "ユ" - "YOU" in Japanese! |
| ヨ | よ | yo | Looks like "ヨ" - "YO"ga |
ラ行 (RA Row)
| Katakana | Hiragana | Romaji | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| ラ | ら | ra | Looks like "ラ" - angular lines |
| リ | り | ri | Looks like "リ" - "RE"d |
| ル | る | ru | Looks like "ル" - "RU"n |
| レ | れ | re | Looks like a slash - "RE"d |
| ロ | ろ | ro | Looks like "ロ" - rectangular box |
ワ行 (WA Row)
Note: Like hiragana, the WA row only has 2 common characters in modern Japanese.
| Katakana | Hiragana | Romaji | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| ワ | わ | wa | Looks like "ワ" - angular "W" |
| ヲ | を | wo (o) | Only used as a particle |
| ン | ん | n | Looks like "ン" - the final "N" sound |
Common Katakana Words
マック
McDonald's (Mac)
ミルク
milk
メール
email
モバイル
mobile
ユーザー
user
ヨーロッパ
Europe
ラッパー
rapper
リモコン
remote control
レストラン
restaurant
ロボット
robot
ワイン
wine
ワーク
work
Congratulations!
You've completed all 46 basic katakana characters!
What's next?
- Dakuten (゛) and Handakuten (゜) marks for voiced sounds
- Combination characters (キャ, シャ, チャ, etc.)
- Double consonants (kk, tt, pp)
- Extended vowels with ー symbol
- Practice reading real Japanese texts!
Study Tips
Master Katakana:
- Mix it up: Create mixed hiragana/katakana flashcards
- Speed test: Time yourself reading katakana words - aim for less than 2 seconds per word
- Write from memory: After learning a row, write them without looking
- Real-world practice: Look for katakana on signs, in menus, on products
- Next step: Start learning dakuten and combination characters!
Course Navigation
Study Tips
- Read each example carefully
- Practice pronunciation aloud
- Create your own sentences to reinforce memory
- Finish the section quiz