Introduction: Reading and Writing

What is hiragana used for?

Hiragana is used for conjugation endings, function words, and native Japanese words not covered with Kanji.

What is Katakana used for?

Katakana is used for loan words and foreign names.

What is Kanji used for?

Kanji is used for nouns, and stems for verbs and adjectives.

Is Japanese a pitch accent?

Yes.

How is each syllable in Japanese pronounced?

In equal length and stress.

How do you pronounce long vowels in katakana?

With a long dash.

What is Kanji?

They are Chinese characters introduced to Japan.

What are the (2) readings of Kanji?

On-yomi (Chinese reading), and Kun-yomi (Japanese reading)

What are the four types of Kanji and their formations?

Pictogram: Kanji made from pictures

Simple Ideograms: dots and lines to form numbers and abstract ideas

Compound ideograms: Combination of two or more kanji

Phonetic-ideographic: meaning + sound