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Japan has four main sets of writing symbols:
- kanji
- hiragana
- katakana
- romaji
Kanji characters, imported from China, were originally simplified pictures of things. Educated people know at least 2,000 of these, but there are many thousands more.
There are also two phonetic alphabets called 'kana'. One is 'hiragana' and the other is 'katakana'. The symbols are different from each other but really they are different letters for writing exactly the same scheme of sounds, so each has a like-for-like equivalent letter in the other. In modern Japanese they have 48 letters (or slight variations of letters) in each set. The difference between the 'kanji' and the 'kana' is that 'kanji' have meaning and sound (usually more than one possible sound for each one), whereas 'kana' only have sound, and do not mean anything in themselves.
There is another alphabet that is widely used - the Roman alphabet (the one English uses). Although not everyone is fluent in English, pretty much everyone in Japan can read the letters of the English alphabet, which is known as 'Romaji' (Roman letters).
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoThere are 4 writing systems in the Japanese language, 2 syllabaries, 1 pictographic system, and one Alphabetic system:
- Hiragana = a syllabary made up of 106 sounds and is used for any Japanese word spelt out sound by sound (eg WA ta shi - watashi. 3 symbols)
- Katakana = a syllabary like hiragana, but is used only for non-Japanese loanwords, (eg foreign names, tara - ta ra, 2 symbols. also resutoran - restaurant etc)
- Kanji = Chinese characters. A single kanji can represent one hiragana symbol, or sometimes entire words. There are about 2000 Kanji in common use in Japan
- Romaji = The latin alphabet for Japanese. Japanese Romaji (Hebbonshiki system) has 22 letters: A B Ch D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z (There is no L, Q, or V and the letter C only occurs in Ch).
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What was the relationship between Chinese and Japanese writing?
Japanese and Chinese writings are different, but in some cases use the same characters.Japanese uses different writing systems:Hirigana - Used for native Japanese wordsKatakana - Mainly used when writing foreign wordsKanji - These are characters that were borrowed from the Chinese WritingRomaji - This is used when writing Japanese characters with the Latin AlphabetChinese uses characters that they call Hanzi.Hanzi is called by different names in other countries. But in Japanese it is called Kanji.Kanji are the Chinese characters that the Japanese use along with their other writing systems (Hirigana & Katakana) . Though in Japanese one character of Kanji and represent many syllables.
Why do the Japanese have three writing systems?
The Japanese writing consists of three systems:KanjiHiraganaKatakanaKanji is the main body of Japanese writing system, which was developed from Chinese characters through history of the two countries. There are about 2000 Kanji used in Japanese.Hiragana is their original writing system, which is used for writing -non-kanji parts of the language, such as 'particles', 'auxiliary verbs' and 'okurigana' (inflection of different words, esp verbs].Katakana was developed as a system to write foreign words, and contains writing of syllables whose pronunciations are non-existent to the main Japanese language, such as 'fa, fi, wu, di, je, she, etc'. Katakana is also used in Japanese the way we use italics in English.
What are the three things Japanese borrowed from the Chinese?
There are many things that Japan took from China. three of them are silk, tea, n noodles! <<<<NOT CORRECT. The japanese "borrowed" Buddhism, the chinese writing system, and a centralized imperial state. Hope this helps :D
Where did Japanese writing come from?
james and aiden a awesomized
Why do people mistakenly think alphabets and writing systems are exactly the same?
Through a lack of education and poor understanding of linguistics
How many different writing styles do the Japanese use?
The Japanese use three writing systems: hiragana (cursive), katakana (print), and kanji (borrowed from the Chinese).
What are the names of the 3 writing systems used for Japanese?
The three writing systems are:KatakanaHiraganaKanjiThere is also a 4th system called Romaji, which is the romanization of Japanese, but this system is not native to Japan.
What are the Japanese Writing Systems?
hushinoku and there is more which i dont really no sorry
What are the japanese writing systems called?
hushinoku and there is more which i dont really no sorry
What was the relationship between Chinese and Japanese writing?
Japanese and Chinese writings are different, but in some cases use the same characters.Japanese uses different writing systems:Hirigana - Used for native Japanese wordsKatakana - Mainly used when writing foreign wordsKanji - These are characters that were borrowed from the Chinese WritingRomaji - This is used when writing Japanese characters with the Latin AlphabetChinese uses characters that they call Hanzi.Hanzi is called by different names in other countries. But in Japanese it is called Kanji.Kanji are the Chinese characters that the Japanese use along with their other writing systems (Hirigana & Katakana) . Though in Japanese one character of Kanji and represent many syllables.
Why is Japanese considered one of the most difficult writing systems?
Japanese writing system includes three scripts: kanji, hiragana, and katakana, each with thousands of characters. The complexity arises from having to learn and memorize a large number of characters, along with different readings and usage rules. Additionally, kanji characters often have multiple readings and meanings, making it challenging for learners to master.
What is the name 'Brooke' when translated from English to Japanese?
You can't Translate Brooke into other languages but you can spell it out in the writing systems of other languages.In Japanese it is spelled ブルック
What grades do Japanese children learn levels of Japanese writing systems?
In Japanese writing, Kanji, there are just over 1900 in general use. By the time you leave high school you have learn them all. You do start in grade 1 learning a few and progressively work you way through them.
What Japanese system of writing should foreigners learn Hiragana or Katakana?
Foreigners should start by learning Hiragana when studying the Japanese writing system. Hiragana is the basic script used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements. Once proficient in Hiragana, learners can then move on to Katakana, which is used for foreign loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis.
Japanese writing consist of how many different alphabets?
Japanese writing consists of three different alphabets: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and Katakana are phonetic alphabets with characters representing sounds, while Kanji consists of characters borrowed from Chinese writing, each representing a word or concept.
How are Chinese Japanese and Korean interrelated?
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are all East Asian languages that are genetically unrelated to each other. Although they share some similarities due to historical and cultural interactions, each language developed independently with distinct grammar, vocabulary, and writing systems. However, Chinese characters have been historically used in the writing systems of Japanese and Korean.
Why did Japanese adoption of China's writing systems and religious beliefs indicate?
japans willing ness to adopt more of China's culture
