View source for Japanese/Kana/Lessons/Katakana/Lesson 1

{{Japanese kana navigation}}

Welcome to the first installment of the katakana lessons. In this lesson you are going to learn how to read and write the Japanese vowels, "ア", "イ", "ウ", "エ" and "オ".
{{Japanese kana
| kana = ア
| sound = <big style="font-size: 150%;">a</big> - Sounds like the long "a" in "alright."
| mnemonic = 
* It's an '''A''' flipped on its side.
* An '''A'''rm in a sleeve.
| example =
* アメリカ (amerika) America
* アイディア (aidia) idea
* アイス　(aisu) ice
}}
{{Japanese kana
| kana = イ
| sound = <big style="font-size: 150%;">i</big>
| mnemonic =
* It reminds me of an '''e'''agle.
* It reminds me of a satellite dish, so... 'I' get so many channels on my new satellite dish.  Just remember that 'i' is pronounced 'ee'.
* ''''Ee'''k!  My letter T has tilted!'
* It looks like a capital 'I' without a bottom line gone and the top line slightly tilted to the side.
| example =
* イタリア (itaria) Italy
* インターネット (intaanetto) internet
* インク (inku) ink
}}
{{Japanese kana
| kana = ウ
| sound = <big style="font-size: 150%;">u</big>
| mnemonic =
* A bowl of '''U'''don with the noodles being pulled from the bowl.
* Somebody stuck an arrow in the side of a 'u' and knocked it onto its side.
* A sc''oo''p (the 'oo' is pronounced like 'u') that someone is using to get some candy.
| example =
* ウィーン (uiin) Vienna
* ウェブ (uebu) web
* ウィスキー (uisukii) whisky
}}
{{Japanese kana
| kana = エ
| sound = <big style="font-size: 150%;">e</big>
| mnemonic =
* Someone cut an 'E' in half, right through the middle of the second line, and pivoted the top half to rest on the ground.
* <math>I</math>  is the symbol for '''e'''lectric current.
| example =
* エジプト (ejiputo) Egypt
* エスエフ (esuefu) SF/Science Fiction
* エレキギター (erkigitaa) electric guitar
}}
{{Japanese kana
| kana = オ
| sound = <big style="font-size: 150%;">o</big>
| mnemonic =
* 'O' as in '''O'''rigin. The middle dot (intersecting point) is the origin for all other lines of this kana.
* It's an '''o'''ld man; the horizontal line is his arms and the diagonal line is his long beard.
| example = 
* オレンジ (orenji) Orange
}}

{{BookCat}}

[[de:Japanisch/ Katakana]]
[[fr:Japonais/Katakana/Leçon 1]]