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Romanization of Japanese facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Running in board of Toyooka Station
Old sign from the JNR era at Toyooka Station shows inconsistent romanization. Although in principle Hepburn is used, Kokuhu is the kunrei-shiki form (would be Kokufu in Hepburn).

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.

Differences among romanizations

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

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'

Images for kids

  • Toyooka Station Sign

    Old sign from the JNR era at Toyooka Station shows inconsistent romanization. Although in principle Hepburn is used, Kokuhu is the kunrei-shiki form (which would be Kokufu in Hepburn).

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rōmaji para niños

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Romanization of Japanese Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.