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Step 4

Katakana

Same 46 sounds as hiragana, different shapes. You will meet them in loanwords, names, menus, and emphasis.

Learn the characters

コーヒー

koohii

Coffee. A loanword.

コーヒー = coffee, written in katakana because the word came from outside Japanese

メニュー

menyuu

Menu. What a café prints.

メニュー = menu

スミス

sumisu

Smith. A name.

スミス = Smith

ダメ

dame

No. Not allowed.

ダメ = no. Katakana here is emphasis, not a loanword.