Lesson 1: First Greetings (Hiragana & Katakana)

Japanese Writing Systems

The Japanese language consists of three main writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. This course assumes you already have basic familiarity with hiragana and katakana, as knowing these characters is essential before diving deeper into Japanese studies. If you feel confident, you can skip ahead—but if you'd like a quick refresher, we've included both character sets below.

Learning Note: Hiragana and katakana form the essential foundation for reading and writing Japanese. Investing time now to memorize these characters thoroughly will make your learning journey much smoother.

Hiragana (ひらがな)

Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammatical elements, and words for which kanji might be too complex.

That is the 46 basic hiragana. For the dakuten, handakuten and combination kana as well, see the full hiragana chart, which you can print as a PDF.

Katakana (カタカナ)

Katakana is used for foreign words, names, emphasis, and technical terms.

The full katakana chart adds the dakuten, the combinations and the foreign sound rows katakana uses for borrowed words, and prints as a PDF too.

Tip: Start by learning five characters a day. Begin with the vowels (あいうえお/アイウエオ) and gradually add consonant groups.

Essential Greetings & Phrases

These simple phrases will help you navigate daily situations in Japan:

Basic Greetings

Common Courtesies

Self-Introduction

Essential Phrases

Cultural Note: In Japan, greetings are often accompanied by bowing
(お辞儀じぎ).
For casual situations, a slight nod or shallow bow (about 15 degrees) is appropriate.

People & Pronouns

Learn essential words for talking about yourself and others.

Basic Pronouns

Important People

Family (Your Own)

Family (Someone Else's)

Tip: In Japanese, pronouns like "I" and "you" are often omitted when clear from context. Using someone's name with -さん is more common than saying "you."