Japanese Conversation · Level 42
90 words
Japanese word
仮名
Pronunciation
Romajikana
Meaning
- nounkana
Example
仮名は日本語の音を表す文字です。ka na wa nihon go no oto o arawa su moji de su
Kana are characters that represent Japanese sounds.
More examples
難しい漢字には仮名を振ると、読みやすくなります。muzuka shi i kan ji ni wa ka na o fu ru to yo mi ya su ku na ri ma su
Adding kana readings to difficult kanji makes them easier to read.
Core concept
Represents a Japanese sound with a written sign rather than directly expressing a word's meaning.
Common phrases
仮名を振るka na o fu ru
add kana readings
仮名で書くka na de ka ku
write in kana
Definition in Japanese
日本語の音を表すために用いる文字の総称。nihon go no oto o arawa su ta me ni mochi i ru moji no sō shō
Word origin
仮名 (kana, "temporary name") combines 仮 (ka, "temporary") and 名 (na, "name"), referring to signs used provisionally for their sounds.
Usage tips
- The English loanword kana covers both hiragana and katakana, which represent the same basic sound inventory in different writing styles.
Other meanings
- aliasnoun