I Love KanjiWhat is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Hiragana and katakana are two scripts for the same set of sounds – each has 46 basic characters. Hiragana writes native Japanese words, grammar endings and particles (たべる, は, です). Katakana writes words borrowed from other languages and foreign names (コーヒー coffee, アメリカ America), and is also used for emphasis and sound effects.
| Hiragana | Katakana | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Rounded, flowing | Angular, straight strokes |
| “ka” | か | カ |
| Main use | Native words, grammar, particles, okurigana | Loanwords, foreign names, emphasis, onomatopoeia |
| Example | ありがとう (thank you) | テレビ (TV) |
Which should I learn first?
Hiragana – it appears in almost every Japanese sentence. Katakana is quicker afterwards because the sounds are identical. Use the hiragana chart and quiz, then the katakana chart and quiz.
And kanji?
Kanji carry meaning; hiragana and katakana carry sound. A normal sentence mixes all three: 私はコーヒーを飲みます – kanji (私, 飲), hiragana (は, を, みます) and katakana (コーヒー).
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Last reviewed 2026-10-09 by the I Love Kanji team.