Katakana is one of three alphabets used in the Japanese language. The other two alphabets, kanji and hiragana, are used to write and pronounce native Japanese words.
Katakana is used almost entirely for words which come from other languages, mostly English. This means that if you can read katakana, you’ll be able to understand a lot of modern Japanese words, in particular words relating to food, travel and technology.
How many katakana characters are there? #
Unlike kanji, which has thousands of characters, katakana has only 46 main characters. There are some small variations on these characters to make slightly different sounds, but they are basically the same character. If you want to learn some Japanese for a trip to Japan, katakana is the perfect option because there are only 46 characters to learn!
How long does it take to learn katakana? #
When I first learned katakana, it took me about a month to learn all the characters. I used a basic flashcard-like app which showed you katakana over and over again until you remembered it. I found it difficult and confusing, but it did work!
These days, there are much better options available, and you can easily learn katakana without a week or two.
How can I learn katakana? #
There are some great free katakana guides available online, including Tofugu’s Katakana Guide and NHK’s Katakana Table. I highly recommend checking them out if you’re looking for a simple place to start.
The main issue I have with guides like this is that they tend to assume an existing knowlege of Japanese, or at the very least an understanding of the hiragana alphabet.
This is why I created the Tabikana app, which teaches katakana from scratch, with absolutely zero Japanese knowledge needed. It includes hand-written lessons for every katakana character, making sure to avoid the pitfalls I faced when I first learned katakana.
Learn katakana with Tabikana #
You can download the Tabikana app on the App Store and Google Play. The first 7 lessons are free, and the All Access Pass is available for a one-time payment, with no subscription!
I’ve tried my best to make learning katakana with Tabikana a fun and rewarding experience. I hope you enjoy it!