Japanese Alphabet

Question 1

What are the three main writing systems used in the Japanese language?

Answer 1

Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji

Question 2

True or False: Hiragana is primarily used for native Japanese words.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Fill in the blank: Katakana is mainly used for ________ and foreign words.

Answer 3

loanwords

Question 4

What is the primary function of Kanji in the Japanese writing system?

Answer 4

To represent complex ideas and concepts through characters borrowed from Chinese.

Question 5

How many basic Hiragana characters are there?

Answer 5

46

Question 6

What is the main purpose of Katakana?

Answer 6

To write foreign words, names, and onomatopoeia.

Question 7

True or False: Kanji characters can have multiple readings.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

What is the term for the phonetic characters used in Japanese writing?

Answer 8

Kana

Question 9

How many basic Katakana characters are there?

Answer 9

46

Question 10

What is the reading called that is used for native Japanese words in Kanji?

Answer 10

Kun’yomi

Question 11

What is the reading called that is used for words borrowed from Chinese in Kanji?

Answer 11

On’yomi

Question 12

Fill in the blank: The character か is in which writing system?

Answer 12

Hiragana

Question 13

Fill in the blank: The character カ is in which writing system?

Answer 13

Katakana

Question 14

True or False: Hiragana and Katakana represent the same sounds.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

What is the primary use of Romaji in Japanese writing?

Answer 15

To represent Japanese sounds using the Latin alphabet.

Question 16

What does the term ‘syllabary’ refer to in the context of Hiragana and Katakana?

Answer 16

A writing system where each symbol represents a syllable.

Question 17

Which writing system is typically taught first to children learning Japanese?

Answer 17

Hiragana

Question 18

What are the diacritical marks called that modify the sounds of Hiragana and Katakana?

Answer 18

Dakuten and Handakuten

Question 19

Fill in the blank: The sound /ka/ in Katakana is written as ________.

Answer 19

カ

Question 20

Fill in the blank: The sound /sa/ in Hiragana is written as ________.

Answer 20

さ

Question 21

True or False: Katakana is used for scientific terms and technical vocabulary.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

What is the historical origin of Kanji characters?

Answer 22

They were borrowed from Chinese characters.

Question 23

What is the term for the combinations of consonants and vowels in Japanese syllables?

Answer 23

Mora

Question 24

What is the first character of the Hiragana syllabary?

Answer 24

あ (a)

Question 25

What is the first character of the Katakana syllabary?

Answer 25

ア (a)

Question 26

Fill in the blank: The Japanese sound system is primarily based on ________.

Answer 26

syllables

Question 27

What is the maximum number of consonants that can appear in a syllable in Japanese?

Answer 27

One

Question 28

True or False: There are no silent letters in the Japanese writing system.

Answer 28

True

Question 29

What is the purpose of furigana in Japanese texts?

Answer 29

To provide pronunciation for Kanji characters.

Question 30

Fill in the blank: The character ん represents a ________ sound.

Answer 30

nasal

Question 31

What is the significance of the character ー in Katakana?

Answer 31

It indicates a long vowel sound.

Question 32

What is the Hiragana character for the sound /na/?

Answer 32

な

Question 33

What is the Katakana character for the sound /nu/?

Answer 33

ヌ

Question 34

Fill in the blank: Japanese writing is read from ________ to ________ in traditional texts.

Answer 34

top; bottom

Question 35

Fill in the blank: The character し is pronounced as ________.

Answer 35

shi

Question 36

True or False: The Japanese language has no alphabet in the traditional sense.

Answer 36

True

Question 37

What is the term for a group of Kanji characters that have similar meanings?

Answer 37

Radicals

Question 38

What is the Japanese term for 'alphabet'?

Answer 38

アルファベット (arufabetto)

Question 39

What is the basic structure of a Japanese syllable?

Answer 39

A consonant followed by a vowel.