Learning Japanese 101
- Introduction to Japanese
- Japanese Writing System: Katakana
- Japanese Writing System: Kanji
- Intermediate Grammar
- Vocabulary Building
- Conversational Japanese
- Business Japanese
- Japanese Culture and Society
- Listening Practice
Japanese Writing System: Katakana
Advanced Katakana
Language spoken in East Asia.
In this unit, we will continue our exploration of the Katakana writing system, focusing on the remaining characters and the use of "dakuten" and "handakuten" to modify Katakana sounds.
Learning the Rest of the Katakana Characters
After mastering the basic Katakana characters (A-I-U-E-O), we will now learn the rest of the characters. These range from KA-KU-KE-KO (カキクケコ) to WA-WO-N (ワヲン).
Just like the basic characters, these characters also represent different syllables in the Japanese language. It's important to practice writing and pronouncing these characters until you are comfortable with them.
Understanding Dakuten and Handakuten
"Dakuten" and "handakuten" are diacritical marks used in Katakana (as well as Hiragana) to modify the consonant of a syllable.
"Dakuten", also known as "voiced sound marks", are represented by two small lines placed at the top right corner of a character. They change unvoiced consonants (k, s, t, and h) into voiced consonants (g, z, d, and b). For example, the Katakana character for "ka" (カ) becomes "ga" (ガ) when a dakuten is added.
"Handakuten", also known as "semi-voiced sound marks", are represented by a small circle placed at the top right corner of a character. They are only used with the "h" row of Katakana to change "h" to "p". For example, the Katakana character for "ha" (ハ) becomes "pa" (パ) when a handakuten is added.
Writing Practice
After learning these new characters and diacritical marks, it's time for writing practice. Tracing and writing the advanced Katakana characters will help you remember them and improve your handwriting.
Remember, practice is key when learning a new writing system. Don't rush, take your time to understand each character, and practice writing them until you feel comfortable.
By the end of this unit, you should be able to read, write, and understand all the Katakana characters, including those with dakuten and handakuten. This will greatly enhance your ability to read and write in Japanese.