Hiragana to Katakana Converter
Convert Japanese Hiragana (ひらがな) to Katakana (カタカナ) instantly. Simply type or paste your hiragana text and see the katakana conversion in real-time.
Back to the Character Converter hub →Common Hiragana to Katakana Conversions
Basic Words
ひらがな → ヒラガナ
かたかな → カタカナ
にほんご → ニホンゴ
Greetings
こんにちは → コンニチハ
ありがとう → アリガトウ
さよなら → サヨナラ
Common Phrases
おはよう → オハヨウ
すみません → スミマセン
おねがいします → オネガイシマス
When to Use This Converter
Emphasizing Words in Writing
Writers use katakana to add emphasis to Japanese words, similar to italics or bold in English. This is common in manga, advertisements, and creative writing.
Converting Foreign Loanwords
When Japanese text includes loanwords written in hiragana, converting to katakana makes them instantly recognizable as foreign words, improving readability.
Educational Materials
Language learning materials often show the same word in both scripts to help students understand the relationship between hiragana and katakana.
Stylistic Choices in Design
Graphic designers and artists use katakana for its angular, modern appearance in logos, posters, and branding materials.
About Hiragana to Katakana Conversion
Hiragana (ひらがな) and Katakana (カタカナ) are two of the three writing systems used in Japanese. While they represent the same sounds, they have different uses:
- Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements
- Katakana is primarily used for foreign loanwords, emphasis, and onomatopoeia
This converter helps you quickly transform hiragana text into katakana, which is useful for:
- Creating emphasis in Japanese text
- Writing foreign names in Japanese
- Learning the relationship between the two writing systems
- Stylistic choices in creative writing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Hiragana and Katakana?
Both hiragana and katakana represent the same sounds in Japanese, but they serve different purposes. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements, while katakana is primarily used for foreign loanwords, foreign names, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. The characters also look different - hiragana has curved, flowing strokes while katakana has more angular, straight strokes.
When should I use katakana instead of hiragana?
Use katakana for foreign loanwords (コンピューター - computer), foreign names (トム - Tom), onomatopoeia (ワンワン - woof), scientific terms, and when you want to emphasize a word. Japanese native words should typically remain in hiragana or kanji unless you're deliberately creating emphasis or a stylistic effect.
Can I convert mixed text with both hiragana and kanji?
Yes, this converter will only convert hiragana characters to katakana, leaving kanji, romaji, and other characters unchanged. This allows you to selectively convert parts of your text while preserving the rest.
Is this converter accurate for all hiragana characters?
Yes, our converter accurately handles all standard hiragana characters including dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) marks, small characters (ゃ, ゅ, ょ), and long vowel sounds. The conversion is based on the official hiragana-katakana correspondence used in Japanese writing.
Why do some words look strange in katakana?
Native Japanese words may look unusual in katakana because they're not typically written that way. While technically correct, converting words like ありがとう to アリガトウ is grammatically accurate but culturally uncommon. Katakana is primarily reserved for foreign words and special stylistic purposes.
Tips for Best Results
💡For Beginners
Learn the Character Pairs
Each hiragana character has a corresponding katakana character. Start by learning common pairs like あ↔ア, か↔カ, さ↔サ. This makes conversions more intuitive and helps with reading.
Understand Context
Before converting, consider whether the text should actually be in katakana. Not all hiragana text benefits from conversion - native Japanese words typically stay in hiragana unless you're creating emphasis.
🚀Advanced Tips
Watch for Long Vowels
In katakana, long vowel sounds are written with a dash (ー), but in hiragana they're written with additional characters. For example: おう becomes オー, and こうこう becomes コーコー.
⚠️Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't Confuse Similar Characters
Some katakana characters look similar: シ (shi) vs ツ (tsu), ソ (so) vs ン (n). Pay attention to stroke direction and the angle of the marks to avoid mixing them up.
Consider Your Audience
Using katakana for native words can seem childish or overly casual in formal writing. Reserve it for appropriate contexts like manga, advertising, or when specifically emphasizing a word.
Complete Guide to Japanese Writing Systems
Hiragana (ひらがな)
Hiragana is the fundamental Japanese syllabary consisting of 46 basic characters. It represents the sounds of the Japanese language and is essential for:
- Native Japanese words (e.g., たべる - taberu - to eat)
- Grammatical particles (は, が, を, に, で, etc.)
- Verb and adjective endings
- Words without kanji or when kanji is too difficult
Learning hiragana is the first step in Japanese literacy, typically taught to Japanese children before any other writing system.
Katakana (カタカナ)
Katakana is the angular counterpart to hiragana, also consisting of 46 basic characters representing the same sounds. It's primarily used for:
- Foreign loanwords (e.g., コンピューター - konpyūtā - computer)
- Foreign names and places
- Onomatopoeia and sound effects
- Emphasis (similar to italics or bold in English)
- Technical and scientific terms
Katakana gives Japanese its distinctive ability to incorporate foreign concepts while maintaining its unique character.
Historical Development
Both hiragana and katakana (collectively called "kana") developed from Chinese characters (kanji) during the Heian period (794-1185). Hiragana evolved from the cursive script of kanji, while katakana came from abbreviated parts of kanji characters. This dual system allows Japanese to maintain clear distinctions between native and foreign elements in the language.
Practical Conversion Examples
Common Word Categories
Technology Terms
- インターネット ↔ いんたーねっと (internet)
- スマートフォン ↔ すまーとふぉん (smartphone)
- アプリケーション ↔ あぷりけーしょん (application)
- ダウンロード ↔ だうんろーど (download)
Food & Beverages
- ハンバーガー ↔ はんばーがー (hamburger)
- アイスクリーム ↔ あいすくりーむ (ice cream)
- チョコレート ↔ ちょこれーと (chocolate)
- サンドイッチ ↔ さんどいっち (sandwich)
Special Cases and Rules
- Long vowels: In katakana, long vowels are written with ー (e.g., コーヒー), while in hiragana they use additional vowel characters (こーひー or こうひい)
- Small characters: Both systems use small ャ, ュ, ョ for compound sounds (キャ/きゃ = kya)
- Voiced marks: The dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) work identically in both systems
- Special katakana: Some katakana combinations like ヴ (vu) don't have hiragana equivalents
Learning Tips and Resources
Memorization Techniques
- Use mnemonics for character shapes
- Practice writing by hand
- Group similar-looking characters
- Use flashcards or spaced repetition
- Read children's books in kana
Common Mistakes
- Confusing シ (shi) and ツ (tsu)
- Mixing ソ (so) and ン (n)
- Forgetting long vowel marks
- Incorrect stroke order
- Missing dakuten marks
Practice Suggestions
- Convert manga character names
- Read product labels in Japan
- Practice with song lyrics
- Use language learning apps
- Join online study groups
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