How to learn the Japanese alphabet?

Many people may be interested in the Japanese language but do not know where to start.

How and where should I start to learn the Japanese alphabet?

I would like to answer this question as a native Japanese teacher of the Japanese language.

We consider an alphabet as a group of letters here, which is a little different from the alphabet used in Western countries. We can say the Japanese three alphabets are the writing system.

How many alphabets do I need?

There are three types of Japanese alphabets.

If you know only one of them, unfortunately, you will not be able to understand Japanese sentences. You have to learn all three types of alphabets.

What is the Japanese alphabet?

There are three types of Japanese alphabet: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and katakana are similar, but Kanji is different from these two.

Hiragana can represent words of Japanese origin. Katakana can represent foreign words or computer words. Kanji is the core of the Japanese language and is a very important alphabet.

Should I learn all of them?

You must master all three letters of the alphabet to learn Japanese.

However, you do not have to learn all of them, as the number of Kanji is enormous, with 2,136 commonly used alone. If you are a beginner, please learn 100 kanji first.

Which one is easier to learn?

This varies from person to person, but first of all, Hiragana and Katakana can be said to be easy because there are fewer than Kanji. Some people like Hiragana because they are cute. I think each person has their favorite characters.

For some Chinese speakers, kanji is easy. On the contrary, for non-Asians, Kanji is very difficult.

Which alphabet should I learn in order?

Now that you know that the Japanese alphabet has three alphabet and that there are many of them, where should you start to learn Japanese from now on?

Some of you may have to set a deadline to study Japanese in order to get a job in Japan. I would like to introduce the process to those people.

How to learn Hiragana

Hiragana is the most basic character of the Japanese language. I would like you to study Hiragana first before any other character.

There are 46 hiragana characters. If you don't learn hiragana first, you will not be able to learn Japanese and even the difference between Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.

As you did when you studied your native language, let's start with the chart to learn the shapes of the characters. Then, make it your own knowledge by writing it over and over again. At that time, it is also important to study pronunciation and writing style.

How to learn Katakana

Once you have learned hiragana, it is time to learn katakana.

Katakana, like Hiragana, has 46 characters. It can represent mainly foreign words, names of foreign countries and people, or computer terms.

Hiragana has many curves, while Katakana is more angular. Although different in appearance, Katakana has fewer strokes and may be relatively easier to remember.

Also, Hiragana and Katakana have several similar characters.

How to learn Kanji

Once you have learned Hiragana and Katakana, study Kanji little by little.

Studying Kanji is a barrier, especially for non-Asians Because the English alphabet and Japanese Kanji are very different and there are so many Kanji.

However, without studying Kanji, you will not be able to read Japanese texts. Kanji is the core of Japanese writing, and you cannot read sentences without it.

Each and every Kanji has a different reading and meaning. While studying one kanji, I want you to learn words using that kanji. That way, you can increase your Japanese vocabulary while learning the kanji.

How long does it take to learn the Japanese alphabet?

Hiragana and Katakana should be memorized first among all of the Japanese alphabets with a goal of one month.

Once you are able to read them somewhat, it is important to start studying grammar and vocabulary while learning Kanji. Grammar, in particular, is very different from English, European languages, and Chinese, so it is important to study it carefully.

The number of Kanji to be learned differs depending on your learning goals.

For beginners, 100 kanji is necessary, and for those who want to use Japanese for work, at least 1,000 kanji is needed.

So it is impossible to say exactly how long it will take you to study Kanji, but even 100 Kanji will take you half a year. 1,000 - 2,000 Kanji will take you some years.

Even Japanese students spend more than 9 years studying 2,136 common-use Kanji characters in school. We cannot say Kanji is something that can be learned quickly.

If you are going to study from now on, I hope you will study each character carefully little by little. Languages are built up every day. Please do your best!