Lesson 9: Katakana 1: Vowels and the K, S, T, N Rows

Katakana represents exactly the same sounds as hiragana, so you already know how to say every character. Only the shapes are new: straight, angular and sharp. It is used for:

• foreign words (コーヒー, coffee; テスト, test)
• foreign names and places (ネパール, Nepal)
• sound effects and emphasis, like italics in English

The same sounds as hiragana (Lessons 3 to 5), in angular shapes.

Listen and repeat

Follow the numbers.

Stroke data: KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0 (kanjivg.tagaini.net). The sheet images are shared under the same licence.

The long-vowel mark ー

In katakana a long vowel is written with a dash ー: ケーキ (keeki), タクシー (takushii). In horizontal writing it is a horizontal line. Hold the previous vowel for two beats. (Hiragana does not use ー for this.) The small ッ works like っ: サッカー (sakkaa).

Look-alikes: the famous pairs

• シ (shi) / ツ (tsu): シ has its strokes lying more horizontally and sweeping up, like a smile. ツ has its strokes more vertical, pointing down.
• ソ (so) / ン (n): ソ is steeper, ン is flatter. (ン comes in Lesson 10.)
• ク (ku) / ケ (ke) / タ (ta): look at the number of strokes and where they cross.
• ウ (u) / ワ (wa) and ナ (na) / メ (me): small differences. Use the stroke sheet.

Words you can read now

Tip: say the word in English first (test, cake, taxi), then read the katakana. Loanwords are changed to fit Japanese sounds and beats, so ケーキ is keeki, not cake.

Every ▶ button plays a clear computer voice, which is good for learning sounds and rhythm but is not a native speaker. Pitch (the rise and fall of the voice) can sound a little flat. Also listen to real Japanese as often as you can: videos, news for learners (NHK Easy), and Japanese people around you.

Check yourself

Try to answer every question before you look at the answers.

1. Read: テスト.
2. Read: ケーキ.
3. Read: タクシー.
4. Read: ノート.
5. Read: サッカー.
6. What does the dash ー do in katakana?
7. Write ka in katakana.
8. Write shi and tsu in katakana and say how to tell them apart.
9. Is the sound of カ different from か?
10. When do we use katakana instead of hiragana?

Answers

Count your correct answers. If you got fewer than 7 out of 10, read the lesson again and listen to the audio once more.

1. tesuto: test.
2. keeki: cake.
3. takushii: taxi.
4. nooto: notebook.
5. sakkaa: soccer.
6. It lengthens the previous vowel (two beats).
7. カ.
8. シ and ツ. シ has horizontal-leaning strokes that sweep up; ツ has more vertical strokes.
9. No. The sound is the same; only the shape differs.
10. For foreign words and names, and for emphasis.