
A Beginner’s Guide to the 3 Japanese Writing Systems
If you’re beginning to learn Japanese, one thing becomes clear right away — Japanese doesn’t just use one alphabet. It uses three distinct writing systems: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana. Each has its own function, style, and history. While that might sound overwhelming at first, don’t worry — this guide breaks it all down simply and clearly.
A Brief History of Japanese Writing
The Japanese language has no indigenous writing system. When Japan established diplomatic and cultural ties with China around the 4th century CE, Chinese characters were adopted for written communication. Two early adaptations of Chinese script shaped the modern writing system:
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Kanbun (漢文): A Classical Chinese writing style used by Japanese scholars. It used Chinese characters (kanji) for meaning but followed Chinese grammar rules.
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Man’yōgana (万葉仮名): A phonetic use of Chinese characters to represent Japanese syllables. This system led to the development of Hiragana and Katakana.
Over time, Japan developed its own hybrid system, combining these influences with native innovations to form the three scripts used today.
Today’s Three Japanese Writing Systems
In modern written Japanese, all three systems — Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana — are used together. While the exact usage varies depending on the type of text, here are approximate percentages to give you a sense of how often each script appears in typical written Japanese:
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Kanji (~54%)
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Hiragana (~38%)
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Katakana (~8%)
These figures come from linguistic studies analyzing a variety of texts and help illustrate the relative prominence of each writing system.
Here’s a breakdown of each:
Kanji (~54%)
What it is:
Logographic characters borrowed from Chinese. Each represents a word or morpheme and often carries multiple readings.
Use:
Used for nouns, verb stems, adjectives, and many core concepts.
Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
犬 | inu | dog |
日本 | nihon | Japan |
水 | mizu | water |
Note: While many kanji are shared with Chinese, pronunciation differs. For example:
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日本: rìběn (Mandarin), nihon (Japanese)
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水: shuǐ (Mandarin), mizu (Japanese)
Hiragana (~38%)
What it is:
A phonetic syllabary with 46 characters. Each represents a distinct syllable.
Use:
Grammatical functions like particles, verb endings, adverbs, and native Japanese words not written in kanji.
Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
いつも | itsumo | always |
あの | ano | that |
しかし | shikashi | but |
Katakana (~8%)
What it is:
Another syllabary, visually sharper and more angular than hiragana.
Use:
Foreign words (loanwords), brand names, onomatopoeia, slang, and technical/scientific terms.
Japanese | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
コーヒー | kōhī | coffee |
テレビ | terebi | television |
ハンバーガー | hanbāgā | hamburger |

Which Script Should I Learn First?
If you’re just starting out, begin with Hiragana. It’s foundational for reading native Japanese words and is used to write many grammatical elements. Next, move on to Katakana, which is often used for foreign names and modern vocabulary. Kanji takes the most time to learn due to its complexity and large number of characters, but you can begin gradually once you’re familiar with kana.
Example: All Three Scripts in One Sentence
Japanese writing combines all three scripts seamlessly. Here’s an example:
わたしはコーヒーを飲みます。
Watashi wa kōhī o nomimasu. – I drink coffee.
Breakdown:
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わたし, は, を, 飲みます → Hiragana (particles and verb ending)
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コーヒー → Katakana (loanword: “coffee”)
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飲 → Kanji (verb root: “drink”)
What is Furigana?
Furigana (振り仮名) are small hiragana characters written above or beside kanji to show pronunciation. They’re common in children’s books, beginner textbooks, and language learning materials to support kanji comprehension.
Where You’ll See Each Script
Script | Common Uses |
---|---|
Kanji | Newspapers, books, signage, formal writing |
Hiragana | Grammar, children’s books, beginner materials |
Katakana | Menus, packaging, loanwords, technical terms |
Loanwords in Japanese
Japan incorporates loanwords from both Chinese and Western languages:
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On’yomi (音読み): Chinese-style readings of kanji
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Kun’yomi (訓読み): Native Japanese readings
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Gairaigo (外来語): Modern loanwords from non-Chinese sources, usually written in katakana (e.g., ハンバーガー)
Conclusion
At first glance, Japanese writing can feel overwhelming. But understanding the distinct roles of Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana makes reading and writing much more approachable. With practice, the system starts to make sense — and even becomes fun!
If you’re ready to dive into learning Japanese with the support of a native-level instructor, our one-to-one Japanese courses at LanguageBird are designed to build your confidence and fluency. Let’s get started — 楽しい勉強を!