Japanese word

カタカナ

Pronunciation

Romajikatakana

Meaning

  • nounkatakana

Example

日本語の名前をカタカナで書きます。nihon go no na mae o ka ta ka na de ka ki ma su

I write Japanese names in katakana.

Illustration for カタカナ (katakana)

More examples

外国の地名はカタカナで表記されることが多いです。gai koku no chi mei wa ka ta ka na de hyō ki sa re ru ko to ga ō i de su

Foreign place names are often written in katakana.

Core concept

Katakana presents Japanese speech units in a marked script that often signals foreignness, technicality, emphasis, or sound symbolism.

Common phrases

  • カタカナで書くka ta ka na de ka ku

    write in katakana

  • カタカナで表記するka ta ka na de hyō ki su ru

    write in katakana

  • カタカナにするka ta ka na ni su ru

    convert to katakana

Definition in Japanese

外国語・外国人名・擬音語などの表記や、語句の強調に用いる日本語の音節文字。gai koku go gai koku jin mei gi on go na do no hyō ki ya go ku no kyō chō ni mochi i ru nihon go no on setsu moji

Word origin

The name カタカナ (katakana) comes from 片仮名 (katakana), combining 片 (kata, "fragment") with 仮名 (kana, "phonetic kana"); the script developed from parts of Chinese characters.

Usage tips

  • A native Japanese word written in katakana can look like a brand, headline, or deliberate emphasis, so script choice can affect tone even when pronunciation stays the same.

Word lists with this word