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As mentioned in
Lesson 1, Katakana is mainly used for foreign words such as names and words that have been borrowed from other languages such as コンピューター (kompyu-ta- = computer). The Japanese language does not have as many sounds as the English language so, when creating a name in Katakana for instance, the name must be sound out to the closest Japanese equivalent. Katakana, Hiragana, and Furigana (when Hiragana is written small next to a Kanji character to show how that character is read) are collectively known as Kana.
ア
a |
イ
i |
ウ
u |
エ
e |
オ
o |
カ
ka |
キ
ki |
ク
ku |
ケ
ke |
コ
ko |
ガ
ga |
ギ
gi |
グ
gu |
ゲ
ge |
ゴ
go |
サ
sa |
シ
shi |
ス
su |
セ
se |
ソ
so |
ザ
za |
ジ
ji |
ズ
zu |
ゼ
ze |
ゾ
zo |
タ
ta |
チ
chi |
ツ
tsu |
テ
te |
ト
to |
ダ
da |
ヂ
ji |
ヅ
zu |
デ
de |
ド
do |
ナ
na |
ニ
ni |
ヌ
nu |
ネ
ne |
ノ
no |
ハ
ha |
ヒ
hi |
フ
fu |
ヘ
he |
ホ
ho |
バ
ba |
ビ
bi |
ブ
bu |
ベ
be |
ボ
bo |
パ
pa |
ピ
pi |
プ
pu |
ペ
pe |
ポ
po |
マ
ma |
ミ
mi |
ム
mu |
メ
me |
モ
mo |
ヤ
ya |
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ユ
yu |
|
ヨ
yo |
ラ
ra |
リ
ri |
ル
ru |
レ
re |
ロ
ro |
ワ
wa |
ヲ
wo |
ン
n/m |
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キャ
kya |
キュ
kyu |
キョ
kyo |
ギャ
gya |
ギュ
gyu |
ギョ
gyo |
シャ
sha |
シュ
shu |
ショ
sho |
ジャ
ja |
ジュ
ju |
ジョ
jo |
チャ
cha |
チュ
chu |
チョ
cho |
ニャ
nya |
ニュ
nyu |
ニョ
nyo |
ヒャ
hya |
ヒュ
hyu |
ヒョ
hyo |
ビャ
bya |
ビュ
byu |
ビョ
byo |
ピャ
pya |
ピュ
pyu |
ピョ
pyo |
ミャ
mya |
ミュ
myu |
ミョ
myo |
リャ
rya |
リュ
ryu |
リョ
ryo |
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