Why Does Japanese Have THREE Writing Systems?

Ok, you’ve decided to start learning Japanese, but you notice that there are 3 writing systems 😱

Let’s break it down, nice and simple.

🌸 1. Hiragana (ひらがな) — Soft & Curvy

Hiragana is the first script Japanese kids learn.
It’s used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and sentence endings.

🧠 Think of it as the foundation of Japanese writing.
Words like たべる (taberu) = "to eat" use hiragana.

The first hiragana can be written in kanji as well, but let me tell you more about kanji further on!

You’ll see it everywhere, so it’s a great place to start!

✨ 2. Katakana (カタカナ) — Sharp & Cool

Katakana is used for foreign words, sound effects (onomatopoeias), and emphasis.

Examples:
アイスクリーム (aisukurīmu) = ice cream 🍦
コンビニ (konbini) = convenience store 🏪

It’s sharper-looking and has a “techy” vibe.
Used a lot in ads and menus!

🉐 3. Kanji (漢字) — The Picture Words

Kanji came from China 🇨🇳 a long time ago.
Each kanji represents an idea or meaning, not just a sound.

Example:
水 (みず / mizu) = water 💧
山 (やま / yama) = mountain ⛰️

There are thousands of kanji, but don’t worry—you don’t need to know them all to start reading Japanese.

🧩 Why All Three?

Great question!
Japanese is unique in how it mixes writing systems:

👉 Hiragana = grammar & native words
👉 Katakana = foreign stuff & effects
👉 Kanji = core meanings

They all work together like puzzle pieces 🧩
One sentence might use all three!

Example:
わたしはピザを食べます。
(Watashi wa piza o tabemasu.)
= I eat pizza 🍕

• わたし (hiragana)
• ピザ (katakana)
• 食 (kanji)

Cool, right?

Your Sensei,
Hikari 👩🏻‍🏫