Learn Japanese Alphabets
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Learn Hiragana

Hiragana is the most basic Japanese alphabet. One you memorize all hiragana, you’ll able to transcribe all of Japanese sounds.

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Learn Katakana

After Hiragana, Katakana is the next importance step to understand foreign words, loanwords, and onomatopoeic expressions

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3 steps to learn the Japanese language at home

“How should beginners learn Japanese?” is a frequently asked question among learners who are new to studying the language. As a beginner, you may feel overwhelmed by the abundance of information available. It's easy to get lost and find yourself questioning, "Which study technique is right for me?". But don't worry! This confusion is completely normal. Language learning is a challenging and lengthy process, and it's not uncommon to feel lost and unsure of where to begin in the early stages

To help you reach fluency in Japanese, here are 3 steps you can follow:

Step 1: Learn the Japanese alphabet and pronunciation

The Japanese alphabet is three writing systems that work together. The names of these three alphabets are Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Don't worry if it seems overwhelming. If you plan to visit Japan or want to learn the basics of Japanese, knowing Hiragana and Katakana would be very helpful. Kanji is a little more challenging to learn. Let's learn together about the Japanese alphabet from A to Z!

1. Hiragana Hiragana is a fundamental component of the Japanese writing system, consisting of phonetic characters representing syllables.

Learning Hiragana offers several benefits, including the ability to read and write basic Japanese words and improve pronunciation and fluency as it provides the foundation for proper intonation and rhythm.Here are some tips to help you learn Hiragana effectively:

Start by familiarizing yourself with the Hiragana characters. Learn their shapes, sounds, and stroke order
Practice writing each character repeatedly to reinforce your memory
Utilize mnemonic techniques to aid memorization. Create associations between the Hiragana characters and familiar sounds. For example, "こ" can be associated with "ko" in the word "koala"

Start by familiarizing yourself with the Hiragana characters. Learn their shapes, sounds, and stroke order
Practice writing each character repeatedly to reinforce your memory
Utilize mnemonic techniques to aid memorization. Create associations between the Hiragana characters and familiar sounds. For example, "こ" can be associated with "ko" in the word "koala"

2. Katakana Katakana is another essential Japanese writing system. The Katakana character set conveniently includes the same sounds as Hiragana.

By mastering Katakana, you will able to read and write:

a ton of loanwords that come from other languages
onomatopoeia - words that imitate the sound of something, such as "ピカピカ"(pikapika), which means "sparkling"

Like Hiragana, to learn Katakana effectively, it is recommended to practice writing each character repeatedly and utilize mnemonic techniques to memorize how each character is pronounced. Consistent practice leads to proficiency in Katakana.

By mastering Katakana, you will able to read and write:

a ton of loanwords that come from other languages
onomatopoeia - words that imitate the sound of something, such as "ピカピカ"(pikapika), which means "sparkling"

3. Kanji

Kanji is usually the third writing system that people learn, after Hiragana and Katakana. It consists of Chinese characters adopted into the Japanese language.

Being able to read and write Kanji properly will expand your Japanese vocabulary and unlock gateways to a deeper understanding of Japanese culture.

To gain a deeper understanding of Kanji and effective techniques for Kanji acquisition, refer to the tips provided in step 2.

How to learn Japanese Alphabets with MochiKana

We offer a clear and detailed learning path to help you learn Japanese step by step, starting from the basics Japanese alphabet: how to learn Hiragana and Katakana. Let's have a quick look at what you'll learn!

Unit 1: 46 basic characters
Unit 2: Dakuon & Handakuon characters
Unit 3: Small っ & long vowels
Unit 4: Hiragana/Katakana combination

In each unit, you will go through:

Character lessons: Learn how to write and pronounce Japanese characters.
Practice lessons: These lessons consist of words that are created by combining Hiragana/Katakana characters, which helps you remember lessons better.
Practice Test at the end of the unit: Challenge yourself on MochiKana’s tests to evaluate your memory ability.

Start your journey to learn Japanese Alphabets with MochiKana now!

Step 2: Learn the basic Kanji and vocabulary

1. Basic Kanji

As mentioned above, Kanji is one of the three main scripts used in Japanese, alongside Hiragana and Katakana.

Learning Kanji is undoubtedly the most difficult challenge for Japanese language learners. But the deeper you dive into Japanese, the more you understand why Kanji is so important!

First, Kanji helps distinguish between words making sentences easier to read. Hiragana won't be sufficient to convey what you're writing once you've advanced to the point where you can use it to write complete sentences. Sentences in Japanese are not separated by spaces; so, Kanji helps separate the words from each other, making it easy to read and understand the right meaning of the sentences. The Kanji are the points that start a word. Take a look at the example below:

にわにはにわとりがいる: There is a bird in the yard
庭には鶏がいる: There is a bird in the yard

Both sentences mean exactly the same thing and are read exactly the same (ni wani wa niwatori ga iru). The only difference is that one is written in Kanji, and one is written in Hiragana only.

Next, Kanji helps distinguish the meaning of words with the same reading. You can understand what you mean in Japanese by using Kanji (Chinese characters), which has several homonyms with various meanings. Example: The word あつい (atsui) has 3 meanings:

暑い: hot (the weather)

熱い: hot (thing)

厚い: thick

So how to pronounce Kanji?In terms of pronouncing Kanji, there are two different methods: Onyomi & Kunyomi. The readings (on'yomi and kun'yomi) of Kanji are very complicated.

Onyomi ( 音読み): Readings derived from Chinese pronunciations. A two-Kanji (or more) compound usually takes the on'yomi readings.
Kunyomi ( 訓読み ): The original, indigenous Japanese readings. These include the majority of the beginner words you learn from textbooks and in class, including nouns.

2. Japanese VocabularyTo be regarded as fluent in Japanese, you just need to be familiar with roughly 5,000 vocabulary words. However, rather than getting caught up in the numbers, it is more important to focus on actively learning Japanese vocabulary.

How to memorize Japanese better?

Many people spend countless hours reviewing vocabulary lists and repeatedly practicing Kanji. Some even fill entire notebooks with the same words written hundreds of times. However, these methods often prove ineffective. Despite the time invested, the information is quickly forgotten. It's crucial to recognize that the studying approach may be incorrect.

For beginners seeking the best study method, here's a technique to start learning Japanese effectively: the Spaced Repetition method.

What is Spaced Repetition? Spaced Repetition is research-proven the most powerful technique for strengthening one’s memory. Remember all the lessons you frantically crammed the night before your exam but faded away a few days later? We don’t want our users to just merely pass a test like that. In opposition to the “cramming” method, by which you can learn information in a short period but will forget soon afterward, Spaced Repetition method asks you to revise material at systematic intervals.

If you're searching for an app to try out this method (SRS), we highly recommend using the MochiMochi - Learn Kanji application. It offers several lessons for kanji and vocabulary, providing a comprehensive system to guide your learning effectively.

Step 3: Practice Japanese

Practice continually is key to reinforce and enhance your fluency in learning the language. After learning the alphabet and basic Kanji, the next steps depend on your goals.

1. Certification goal: Take time to review basic Kanji, grammar, vocabulary, practice Japanese writing, reading, and listening tests at all levels to enhance your level.

2. Communication goal: You need to focus on practicing listening and speaking Japanese for beginners by watching movies and videos, and listening to Japanese conversations, and podcasts,...

Regardless of your learning goals, vocabulary remains a crucial key. Let MochiMochi - Learn Kanji accompany you on your journey to master the Japanese language.

Extra tip: How to type in Japanese?

Now that you have mastered reading and correctly pronouncing Hiragana (take your time, speed is not crucial), it is time to become proficient at typing on a computer or mobile device. The first step is to install a Japanese keyboard.

1. How to install a Japanese keyboard?

To install a Japanese keyboard, the process may vary depending on the device you are using.

Here are some general instructions:

Iphone (iOS)

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard
Tap Keyboards, then tap “Add a keyboard”
Select Japanese (日本語) from the list
Toggle on "Kana," "Romaji," or both, depending on your preferred input method for typing in Japanese

Android phone

Open Settings
Go to Language and Input
Tap on On-screen keyboard
Select Samsung keyboard
Choose Languages and types
Tap on Manage input language and find 日本語 (Japanese)

Android phone

Mac OS
Go to Language & Region
Click on the plus + symbol underneath the Preferred languages list
Select 日本語 (Japanese)

Window computer

Open Settings
Click on Add a preferred language
Search for Japanese, select 日本語 (Japanese)
Choose install

2. How to type in Japanese

Before you start, turn on your Japanese keyboard.

Hiragana: This table displays Japanese keyboard characters and the inputs you type to make them appear. Based on tables, you can easily type Hiragana. For example, to produce あ you type a.

Katakana: To switch from Hiragana to the Katakana keyboard, you have to do is hit the spacebar after you've typed the word in Hiragana. If you spelled the word correctly, your IME will almost always recommend the word in Katakana.

Convert to Kanji: You can start converting some of it into Kanji once you're familiar with typing in Hiragana and Katakana. After typing the text, press the spacebar, and a dropdown box will appear with various conversion options. Scroll through the list and select the desired Kanji by choosing the appropriate option.

3. How to type some difficult letters in Japanese

Typing small tsu: The small kana "tsu (っ)" is a Hiragana or Katakana "tsu (っ)" character reduced in size. You don't need to type ltu, xtsu, or any of those other combinations to get the little tsu. Let's use a double consonant to write the Japanese word in romaji. Your Japanese keyboard will know what to do and generate a っ in the proper place.

Typing half-sized characters: You can see lots of half-sized characters in casual Japanese. If you follow Japanese users on social media, you've easily seen these chibi kana mixed in. Below's how to type in your social media messages:

There are several odd kana pairings because foreign words that have been translated into Japanese are frequently used, in addition to foreign names. This is how to type those uncommon combinations: