The Japanese writing system is a combination of a logographic and syllabary system, and also officially borrows the characters from the Latin alphabet and the Arabic numerals.
Hiragana
a |
i |
u |
e |
o |
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ya |
yu |
yo |
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あ |
い |
う |
え |
お |
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ゃ |
ゅ |
ょ |
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ka |
ki |
ku |
ke |
ko |
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ga |
gi |
gu |
ge |
go |
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kya |
kyu |
kyo |
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gya |
gyu |
gyo |
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か |
き |
く |
け |
こ |
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が |
ぎ |
ぐ |
げ |
ご |
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きゃ |
きゅ |
きょ |
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ぎゃ |
ぎゅ |
ぎょ |
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sa |
shi |
su |
se |
so |
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za |
ji |
zu |
ze |
zo |
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sha |
shu |
sho |
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ja |
ju |
jo |
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さ |
し |
す |
せ |
そ |
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ざ |
じ |
ず |
ぜ |
ぞ |
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しゃ |
しゅ |
しょ |
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じゃ |
じゅ |
じょ |
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ta |
chi |
tsu |
te |
to |
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da |
(ji) |
(zu) |
de |
do |
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cha |
chu |
cho |
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(ja) |
(ju) |
(jo) |
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た |
ち |
つ |
て |
と |
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だ |
ぢ |
づ |
で |
ど |
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ちゃ |
ちゅ |
ちょ |
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ぢゃ |
ぢゅ |
ぢょ |
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na |
ni |
nu |
ne |
no |
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nya |
nyu |
nyo |
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な |
に |
ぬ |
ね |
の |
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にゃ |
にゅ |
にょ |
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ha |
hi |
fu |
he |
ho |
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ba |
bi |
bu |
be |
bo |
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pa |
pi |
pu |
pe |
po |
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hya |
hyu |
hyo |
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bya |
byu |
byo |
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pya |
pyu |
pyo
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は |
ひ |
ふ |
へ |
ほ |
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ば |
び |
ぶ |
べ |
ぼ |
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ぱ |
ぴ |
ぷ |
ぺ |
ぽ |
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ひゃ |
ひゅ |
ひょ |
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びゃ |
びゅ |
びょ |
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ぴゃ |
ぴゅ |
ぴょ
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ma |
mi |
mu |
me |
mo |
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mya |
myu |
myo |
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ま |
み |
む |
め |
も |
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みゃ |
みゅ |
みょ |
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ya |
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yu |
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yo |
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や |
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ゆ |
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よ |
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ra |
ri |
ru |
re |
ro |
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rya |
ryu |
ryo |
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ら |
り |
る |
れ |
ろ |
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りゃ |
りゅ |
りょ |
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wa |
wi |
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we |
wo |
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わ |
ゐ |
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ゑ |
を |
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ん |
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Katakana
a |
i |
u |
e |
o |
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(a) |
(i) |
(u) |
(e) |
(o) |
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ya |
yu |
yo |
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ア |
イ |
ウ |
エ |
オ |
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ァ |
ィ |
ゥ |
ェ |
ォ |
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ャ |
ュ |
ョ |
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ka |
ki |
ku |
ke |
ko |
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ga |
gi |
gu |
ge |
go |
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(ka) |
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(ke) |
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kya |
kyu |
kyo |
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gya |
gyu |
gyo |
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カ |
キ |
ク |
ケ |
コ |
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ガ |
ギ |
グ |
ゲ |
ゴ |
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ヵ |
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ヶ |
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キャ |
キュ |
キョ |
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ギャ |
ギュ |
ギョ |
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sa |
shi |
su |
se |
so |
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za |
ji |
zu |
ze |
zo |
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sha |
shu |
sho |
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ja |
ju |
jo |
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サ |
シ |
ス |
セ |
ソ |
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ザ |
ジ |
ズ |
ゼ |
ゾ |
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シャ |
シュ |
ショ |
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ジャ |
ジュ |
ジョ |
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ta |
chi |
tsu |
te |
to |
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da |
(ji) |
(zu) |
de |
do |
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cha |
chu |
cho |
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(ja) |
(ju) |
(jo) |
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タ |
チ |
ツ |
テ |
ト |
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ダ |
ヂ |
ヅ |
デ |
ド |
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チャ |
チュ |
チョ |
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ヂャ |
ヂュ |
ヂョ |
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na |
ni |
nu |
ne |
no |
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nya |
nyu |
nyo |
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ナ |
ニ |
ヌ |
ネ |
ノ |
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ニャ |
ニュ |
ニョ |
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ha |
hi |
fu |
he |
ho |
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ba |
bi |
bu |
be |
bo |
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pa |
pi |
pu |
pe |
po |
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hya |
hyu |
hyo |
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bya |
byu |
byo |
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pya |
pyu |
pyo
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ハ |
ヒ |
フ |
ヘ |
ホ |
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バ |
ビ |
ブ |
ベ |
ボ |
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パ |
ピ |
プ |
ペ |
ポ |
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ヒャ |
ヒュ |
ヒョ |
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ビャ |
ビュ |
ビョ |
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ピャ |
ピュ |
ピョ
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ma |
mi |
mu |
me |
mo |
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mya |
myu |
myo |
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マ |
ミ |
ム |
メ |
モ |
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ミャ |
ミュ |
ミョ |
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ya |
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yu |
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yo |
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ヤ |
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ユ |
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ヨ |
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ra |
ri |
ru |
re |
ro |
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rya |
ryu |
ryo |
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ラ |
リ |
ル |
レ |
ロ |
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リャ |
リュ |
リョ |
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wa |
wi |
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we |
wo |
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va |
vi |
vu |
ve |
vo |
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ワ |
ヰ |
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ヱ |
ヲ |
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ヷ |
ヸ |
ヴ |
ヹ |
ヺ |
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n |
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ン |
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Numbers
Modern Japanese usually uses Arabic numerals, but, when writing formally or in kanji, they will use their own number system.
Common Glyph |
Formal Glyph |
Obsolete |
Full Width |
Circled |
Number
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〇 |
零 |
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0 |
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Zero
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一 |
壱 |
壹 |
1 |
① |
One
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二 |
弐 |
貳 |
2 |
② |
Two
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三 |
参 |
參 |
3 |
③ |
Three
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四 |
四 |
肆 |
4 |
④ |
Four
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五 |
五 |
伍 |
5 |
⑤ |
Five
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六 |
六 |
陸 |
6 |
⑥ |
Six
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七 |
七 |
柒, 漆 |
7 |
⑦ |
Seven
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八 |
八 |
捌 |
8 |
⑧ |
Eight
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九 |
九 |
玖 |
9 |
⑨ |
Nine
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十 |
拾 |
拾 |
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⑩ |
Ten
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百 |
百 |
佰 |
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Hundred
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千 |
千 |
阡, 仟 |
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Thousand
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万 |
万, 萬 |
萬 |
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Ten Thousand
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億 |
億 |
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Hundred Million
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兆 |
兆 |
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Trillion
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京 |
京 |
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Ten Quadrillion
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Typographic Symbols
Glyph |
System |
Explanation
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っ |
Hiragana |
Double the length of the following consonant sound.
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ッ |
Katakana |
Double the length of the following consonant sound.
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ー |
Katakana |
Double the length of the preceding vowel sound. Can be used in hiragana, but usually just use the appropriate vowel kana.
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々 |
Kanji |
Iteration mark (duplicate the preceding kanji). Can be used to make the word plural or alter the usage of the preceding word.
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仝 |
Kanji |
Repetition mark (duplicate two or more preceding kanji).
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ゝ |
Hiragana |
Iteration mark (duplicate the preceding kana).
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ゞ |
Hiragana |
Iteration mark (duplicate the preceding kana, and change the consonant).
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〻 |
Hiragana |
Vertical iteration mark (duplicate the preceding kana).
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ヽ |
Katakana |
Iteration mark (duplicate the preceding kana).
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ヾ |
Katakana |
Iteration mark (duplicate the preceding kana, but change the consonant).
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〱 |
Kana |
Vertical repetition mark (duplicate two or more of the preceding kana).
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〲 |
Kana |
Vertical repetition mark (duplicate two or more of the preceding kana, and change the consonant).
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〳 |
Kana |
Top part of the vertical repetition mark (used when it need to be broken).
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〴 |
Kana |
Top part of the vertical repetition mark which alters the consonant (used when it need to be broken).
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〵 |
Kana |
Bottom part of both the vertical repetition top marks (used when it need to be broken).
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゛ |
Kana |
Modifies the consonant sound of the kana it is attached to.
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゜ |
Kana |
Modifies the consonant sound of the kana to a p sound.
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〃 |
Kana |
Ditto mark. Similar to English, used to repeat the previous listed item.
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Punctuation
Glyph |
System |
Explanation
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。 |
All |
Full stop, similar to English period, but only used when there are multiple sentences.
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、, , |
All |
Similar to English comma.
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・ |
All |
Used to break apart glyphs that would otherwise be confusing together. Also used to show where spaces occur in foreign words.
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Kana |
Full space. Used to separate words when writing exclusivly in kana.
|
! |
All |
Adopted from Western use, used the same as an exclamation point.
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? |
All |
Adopted from Western use, used the same as a question mark.
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゠ |
Katakana |
The double hyphen is used to show where hyphens occur in foreign words.
|
= |
Katakana |
The double dash is used to show where dashes occur in foreign words.
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〜 |
All |
Use to show a span of time or distance, a subtitle (placed at start and end), country of origin (used only at end)
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… |
All |
Used the same way an ellipses is used in English.
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‥ |
All |
Two-dot ellipses.
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: |
All |
Adopted from Western use, used the same as a colon.
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「, 」 |
All |
Used to show the start and end of a quotation.
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『, 』 |
All |
Alternate quotes.
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〝, 〟 |
All |
Alternate quotes.
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(, ) |
All |
Used in the same way English uses parenthesis.
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〔, 〕 |
All |
Tortoise shell brackets, used to show inserted notes.
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〘, 〙 |
All |
Inverted tortoise shell brackets.
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[, ] |
All |
Used similar to brackets in English.
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〚, 〛 |
All |
Inverted square brackets.
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{, } |
All |
Used similar to braces in English.
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⦅, ⦆ |
All |
Double parenthesis.
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〈, 〉 |
All |
Alternate brackets.
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《, 》 |
All |
Double alternate brackets.
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【, 】 |
All |
Lenticular brackets are used in headings.
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〖, 〗 |
All |
Inverted lenticular brackets.
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ヶ |
All |
Used to indicate a period of months.
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•, ◦, ﹅, ﹆ |
All |
Different forms of a side dot, used to add emphasis. Like italics in English.
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※ |
All |
Reference mark. Similar to how an asterisk is used in English.
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* |
All |
Alternate reference mark, adopted from Western usage.
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〽 |
All |
Indicates the start of vocals in a song.
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〓 |
All |
Used when the correct glyph cannot be used due to it missing in the font.
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♪, ♫, ♬, ♩ |
All |
Used to show dialogue that is said in a playful, singsong manner.
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〇〇 |
All |
Used to censor inappropriate text.
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〒, 〶, 〠 |
All |
Used to indicate a postal office.
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〄 |
All |
Compliance with Japanese industrial standards.
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