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Katakana & Loanwords
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Japanese uses three scripts: Hiragana (native words), Katakana (foreign words), and Kanji (Chinese-origin characters). Hiragana and Katakana each have 46 base characters. Master pronunciation rules before moving on — long vowels, double consonants, and pitch accent are commonly overlooked early.
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When to use Katakana
Used for: foreign loanwords (コーヒー), foreign names (メアリー), onomatopoeia, emphasis, and scientific terms.
Long Vowels in Katakana
Use ー (long dash) instead of vowel kana: コーヒー (koohii), ケーキ (keeki), ノート (nooto).
Special Katakana Combinations
For sounds not native to Japanese: ティ (ti), ディ (di), ファ (fa), フェ (fe), フィ (fi), ヴ (vu).
コンピューター
computer
アイスクリーム
ice cream
ハンバーガー
hamburger
Ｔシャツ
T-shirt
ジーンズ
jeans
スマホ
smartphone