Romanization of Japanese
using Latin script to write the Japanese language
Japanese uses the Roman alphabet as well as kanji, hiragana, and katakana. It is often used to put Japanese words on a computer. When Romanized text is used for Japanese words, this is called romaji (ローマ字).
Differences among romanizationsEdit
This chart shows in full the three main systems for the romanization of Japanese: Hepburn, Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki:
Hiragana | Katakana | Hepburn | Nippon-shiki | Kunrei-shiki |
---|---|---|---|---|
あ | ア | a | ||
い | イ | i | ||
う | ウ | u | ||
え | エ | e | ||
お | オ | o | ||
や | ャ | ya | ||
ゆ | ュ | yu | ||
よ | ョ | yo | ||
か | カ | ka | ||
き | キ | ki | ||
く | ク | ku | ||
け | ケ | ke | ||
こ | コ | ko | ||
きゃ | キャ | kya | ||
きゅ | キュ | kyu | ||
きょ | キョ | kyo | ||
さ | サ | sa | ||
し | シ | shi | si | |
す | ス | su | ||
せ | セ | se | ||
そ | ソ | so | ||
しゃ | シャ | sha | sya | |
しゅ | シュ | shu | syu | |
しょ | ショ | sho | syo | |
た | タ | ta | ||
ち | チ | chi | ti | |
つ | ツ | tsu | tu | |
て | テ | te | ||
と | ト | to | ||
ちゃ | チャ | cha | tya | |
ちゅ | チュ | chu | tyu | |
ちょ | チョ | cho | tyo | |
な | ナ | na | ||
に | ニ | ni | ||
ぬ | ヌ | nu | ||
ね | ネ | ne | ||
の | ノ | no | ||
にゃ | ニャ | nya | ||
にゅ | ニュ | nyu | ||
にょ | ニョ | nyo | ||
は | ハ | ha | ||
ひ | ヒ | hi | ||
ふ | フ | fu | hu | |
へ | ヘ | he | ||
ほ | ホ | ho | ||
ひゃ | ヒャ | hya | ||
ひゅ | ヒュ | hyu | ||
ひょ | ヒョ | hyo | ||
ま | マ | ma | ||
み | ミ | mi | ||
む | ム | mu | ||
め | メ | me | ||
も | モ | mo | ||
みゃ | ミャ | mya | ||
みゅ | ミュ | myu | ||
みょ | ミョ | myo | ||
や | ヤ | ya | ||
ゆ | ユ | yu | ||
よ | ヨ | yo | ||
ら | ラ | ra | ||
り | リ | ri | ||
る | ル | ru | ||
れ | レ | re | ||
ろ | ロ | ro | ||
りゃ | リャ | rya | ||
りゅ | リュ | ryu | ||
りょ | リョ | ryo | ||
わ | ワ | wa | ||
ゐ | ヰ | i | wi | i |
ゑ | ヱ | e | we | e |
を | ヲ | wo | o | |
ん | ン | n-n'(-m) | n-n' | |
が | ガ | ga | ||
ぎ | ギ | gi | ||
ぐ | グ | gu | ||
げ | ゲ | ge | ||
ご | ゴ | go | ||
ぎゃ | ギャ | gya | ||
ぎゅ | ギュ | gyu | ||
ぎょ | ギョ | gyo | ||
ざ | ザ | za | ||
じ | ジ | ji | zi | |
ず | ズ | zu | ||
ぜ | ゼ | ze | ||
ぞ | ゾ | zo | ||
じゃ | ジャ | ja | zya | |
じゅ | ジュ | ju | zyu | |
じょ | ジョ | jo | zyo | |
だ | ダ | da | ||
ぢ | ヂ | ji | di | zi |
づ | ヅ | zu | du | zu |
で | デ | de | ||
ど | ド | do | ||
ぢゃ | ヂャ | ja | dya | zya |
ぢゅ | ヂュ | ju | dyu | zyu |
ぢょ | ヂョ | jo | dyo | zyo |
ば | バ | ba | ||
び | ビ | bi | ||
ぶ | ブ | bu | ||
べ | ベ | be | ||
ぼ | ボ | bo | ||
びゃ | ビャ | bya | ||
びゅ | ビュ | byu | ||
びょ | ビョ | byo | ||
ぱ | パ | pa | ||
ぴ | ピ | pi | ||
ぷ | プ | pu | ||
ぺ | ペ | pe | ||
ぽ | ポ | po | ||
ぴゃ | ピャ | pya | ||
ぴゅ | ピュ | pyu | ||
ぴょ | ピョ | pyo | ||
ゔ | ヴ | vu |
This chart shows the differences which can be clearly seen among them.
Kana | Revised Hepburn | Nihon-shiki | Kunrei-shiki |
---|---|---|---|
うう | ū | û | |
おう, おお | ō | ô | |
し | shi | si | |
しゃ | sha | sya | |
しゅ | shu | syu | |
しょ | sho | syo | |
じ | ji | zi | |
じゃ | ja | zya | |
じゅ | ju | zyu | |
じょ | jo | zyo | |
ち | chi | ti | |
つ | tsu | tu | |
ちゃ | cha | tya | |
ちゅ | chu | tyu | |
ちょ | cho | tyo | |
ぢ | ji | di | zi |
づ | zu | du | zu |
ぢゃ | ja | dya | zya |
ぢゅ | ju | dyu | zyu |
ぢょ | jo | dyo | zyo |
ふ | fu | hu | |
ゐ | i | wi | i |
ゑ | e | we | e |
を | o | wo | o |
ん | n-n'(-m) | n-n' |