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.

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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

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

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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