Japanese symbols: hiragana, katakana and kanji
Japanese is written with three scripts that work together. Hiragana あいうえお is used for grammar and native words. Katakana アイウエオ is used for foreign words, names and emphasis. Kanji like 日 本 愛 夢 are characters borrowed from Chinese that carry meaning. This page has the full hiragana and katakana sets, popular kanji, Japanese punctuation like 「 」 and 。, and Japanese emoji like 🎌 🗾 🈁.
Tap any character to copy it for a name, a tattoo idea, a study note or an anime fan post.
What you will find here
- Hiragana: あ い う え お か き く け こ … the basic Japanese syllables.
- Katakana: ア イ ウ エ オ カ キ ク ケ コ … used for foreign words and names.
- Popular kanji: 愛 love, 夢 dream, 和 harmony, 心 heart, 侍 samurai, 忍 ninja, 桜 cherry blossom.
- Punctuation: 「 」 『 』 quotes, 。 full stop, 、 comma, ー long vowel mark, 〜 wave dash.
- Japanese emoji: 🎌 crossed flags, 🗾 map of Japan, 🈁 here, 🉐 bargain, ㊗ congratulations.
Hiragana and katakana for learners
If you are learning Japanese, hiragana and katakana come first. Each has 46 basic characters, plus small forms like ゃ ゅ ょ and marks that change sounds, like the dakuten in が and ガ. Copying the characters here is handy for flashcards, worksheets and notes, especially if you do not have a Japanese keyboard installed yet.
Katakana is used for loanwords, so English words become katakana in Japanese: コーヒー for coffee and テレビ for TV.
Popular kanji and their meanings
Some kanji are favourites for designs, tattoos and bios because of their meanings. 愛 means love, 夢 means dream, 和 means peace or harmony, 心 means heart or mind, 力 means strength, 光 means light and 桜 means cherry blossom. Before using kanji for a tattoo or logo, double-check the meaning with a native speaker, as some characters change meaning in different words.
Anime, manga and fan posts
Anime and manga fans often use Japanese words in their posts and usernames, like かわいい for cute, すごい for amazing or 推し for your favourite character. Corner brackets 「 」 are used for quotes and dialogue, and the long dash ー stretches vowels, like すごーい. Mix these with kaomoji for a fun, Japanese-style message.
Typing Japanese
For regular writing, add a Japanese keyboard on your phone or computer. You type in Latin letters and the keyboard turns them into kana and kanji. For a quick word, a name or a special symbol, copying from this page is the fastest way.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
- Both stand for the same sounds. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammar, and katakana for foreign words, names and emphasis.
- What does 愛 mean?
- 愛 (ai) means love. It is one of the most popular kanji for designs and tattoos.
- How do I write my name in Japanese?
- Foreign names are usually written in katakana by sound. For example, Maria becomes マリア.
- What are 「 」?
- They are Japanese quotation marks, used instead of “ ” for speech and titles.
- Can I copy Japanese characters on a phone without a Japanese keyboard?
- Yes. Tap any character here to copy it and paste it into any app.