Meet Katakana
The sounds you know in new shapes, and the bar that makes a vowel long.
Chapter 1 of 10Page 1 of 5
The Second Alphabet
Katakana spells the same sounds as hiragana, with different shapes.
It is used for words borrowed from other languages, for foreign names, and for sound effects.
You already know every sound, and several of the shapes as well.
あHiraganaThe round one. It carries the grammar and the everyday words.
アKatakanaThe pointy one. It is used for words borrowed from other languages.
漢KanjiThe picture one. It came from Chinese, and one character carries the meaning of a word.