How to Tell Katakana, Hiragana and Kanji Apart
Count the number of strokes., Analyze how hiragana is written., Take a look at how katakana is written., Check for lots of strokes and detail., Look for spaces.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Count the number of strokes.
The amount of strokes used in a hiragana or katakana character is limited to four.
If you see more than four strokes, the character is almost certainly a kanji symbol.
However, some kanji use less than four strokes, such as 人 or 大. , Compared to kanji and katakana, characters are typically round and curvy.
If you look at the character "い" (which is "i"), you can see that both strokes are curved.
Similarly, "さ" ("sa"), "か" ("ka"), and other hiragana characters are rounded or curved compared to their katakana counterparts. , Katakana tends to use mainly straight strokes, and looks rather sharp compared to hiragana.
For example, "イ"
which is "i" in katakana, is only slightly curved. "サ" ("sa") and "カ" ("ka") have minimal curves compared to their hiragana writings. , Looking at kanji characters, you can see that most of them are intricate and detailed, usually using many lines and standing out from the simpler katakana and hiragana characters.
For example, "面" uses nine strokes, and "愛" uses thirteen. , Unlike languages using the Roman alphabet, spaces typically aren't used to tell words apart in Japanese.
If something written in Japanese is using spaces, it's likely written in hiragana, as kanji is used to separate words instead of spaces. -
Step 2: Analyze how hiragana is written.
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Step 3: Take a look at how katakana is written.
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Step 4: Check for lots of strokes and detail.
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Step 5: Look for spaces.
Detailed Guide
The amount of strokes used in a hiragana or katakana character is limited to four.
If you see more than four strokes, the character is almost certainly a kanji symbol.
However, some kanji use less than four strokes, such as 人 or 大. , Compared to kanji and katakana, characters are typically round and curvy.
If you look at the character "い" (which is "i"), you can see that both strokes are curved.
Similarly, "さ" ("sa"), "か" ("ka"), and other hiragana characters are rounded or curved compared to their katakana counterparts. , Katakana tends to use mainly straight strokes, and looks rather sharp compared to hiragana.
For example, "イ"
which is "i" in katakana, is only slightly curved. "サ" ("sa") and "カ" ("ka") have minimal curves compared to their hiragana writings. , Looking at kanji characters, you can see that most of them are intricate and detailed, usually using many lines and standing out from the simpler katakana and hiragana characters.
For example, "面" uses nine strokes, and "愛" uses thirteen. , Unlike languages using the Roman alphabet, spaces typically aren't used to tell words apart in Japanese.
If something written in Japanese is using spaces, it's likely written in hiragana, as kanji is used to separate words instead of spaces.
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Matthew Taylor
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