Katakana to Hiragana Converter

Convert Japanese Katakana (カタカナ) to Hiragana (ひらがな) instantly. Perfect for reading Japanese loanwords and converting them back to hiragana for easier understanding.

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Common Katakana to Hiragana Conversions

Basic Words

カタカナ → かたかな

ヒラガナ → ひらがな

ニホンゴ → にほんご

Common Loanwords

コンピューター → こんぴゅーたー

テレビ → てれび

カメラ → かめら

Food & Drinks

コーヒー → こーひー

パン → ぱん

ケーキ → けーき

Why Convert Katakana to Hiragana?

Converting katakana to hiragana can be helpful in several situations:

  • Learning Japanese: Beginners often find hiragana easier to read than katakana
  • Understanding Pronunciation: See how foreign words are pronounced in Japanese
  • Text Processing: Normalize text for search or analysis purposes
  • Accessibility: Make text easier to read for those less familiar with katakana

Note that while this converter changes the script, the meaning and pronunciation remain the same. Katakana is typically used for foreign loanwords, so converting to hiragana may look unusual to native speakers.

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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