Japanese language: Hiragana, Katkana, Kanji characters

Japanese language: hiragana, katkana, kanji characters. Our article will tell you about Japanese writing and tell beginners how to learn Japanese characters and alphabets.

Konnichiwa, dear friends! When you start learning Japanese, you immediately come across two syllabaries and hieroglyphs. katakana and hiragana are how they are related to kanji , where they all came from and how they differ.

The Japanese language has three writing systems . Many people at the beginning of their study make a big mistake by calling alphabets hieroglyphs, although in fact they are completely different things.

Historically, Japan has used two syllabary systems: hiragana and katakana . kanji in Japanese .

Several thousand years ago, the Japanese had an oral language, but no written language at all. To fix this, they borrowed a writing system from a neighboring country - China.

Chinese characters are ideograms that indicate the meaning of a word. Phonetically, each of them denotes a syllable. The Japanese decided to use their sound without reference to the meaning. In other words, Japanese words began to be written in hieroglyphs that matched their phonetic sound. Later, Buddhist monks invented the alphabets themselves as a way to simplify reading and writing kanji.

Japanese alphabets (and writing in general) were divided along gender lines. The study of Chinese letters was accessible to a very limited part of the male population. Hiragana was used mainly by women, katakana mainly by men. They differ from each other in that the first alphabet has letters with smooth outlines, while the second, on the contrary, has more angular shapes.

Despite the fact that hiragana was considered a women's alphabet, not all women studied it, but only those close to the imperial court or from high society. Katakana is an alphabet that men used as cursive writing, and later used to write down the auxiliary parts of words.

Tattoo hieroglyphs and their meaning

The term “tattoo” was brought to Europe by Captain Cook.
Before he introduced the public to the first “savage” with a large number of tattoos on his face and torso, “skin drawings” were not very common among the European population. They were mainly made by sailors and odious individuals from the underworld. Even in the recent past, tattoo bearers in Russia were the so-called “gentlemen of fortune.” Penitentiary inmates wear tattoos (portaki) not only for beauty. There is a whole system of signs and their location on the body, from which you can learn a lot about the owner of prison tattoos.

Nowadays, more and more often you can find a media personality or a representative of bohemia with a tattoo on the body. These small works of art (and body art already has the status of a culture and gathers its fans and artists at annual festivals) can be seen on the body of a housewife, businessman or student.

Patterns, portraits, images of real and mythological animals, inscriptions - all this not only decorates a person, bringing uniqueness to his image and image, but also conveys information about the owner to others.

Sometimes a tattoo is done as a reminder to oneself of some significant event or person.

In such cases, they choose inscriptions in an incomprehensible (for most people) language - this is why hieroglyph tattoos are so popular, their meaning will not be understood by an idle onlooker, but they remind the owner of something important

Artists recommend that the Russian-speaking public be sure to find out the meaning of tattoo hieroglyphs in Russian before proceeding with application. After all, the result will not be easy to delete later, and due to the specificity of the hieroglyphic language, embarrassment may occur. For example, someone wants to get a tattoo - hieroglyphs with the meaning of their name. In Chinese and Japanese, each character is not a letter, but a word or even a phrase or sentence

A European should be very careful when trying to reproduce his name in hieroglyphs - sounds consonant with the name can mean something unpleasant or even carry an offensive meaning

Are tattoo hieroglyphs popular in your homeland?

There are very few fans of tattoos with hieroglyphs among native speakers - the Chinese and Japanese. And this is understandable - for them, hieroglyphs are not beautiful and mysterious pictures that carry a sacred meaning, but just words, text. For them, the inscription in their native language seems as banal and vulgar as for the Russians: “Vasya was here” or “love to the grave.” Therefore, the Chinese, who understand the meaning of Chinese characters, often choose tattoos depicting exotic plants and fantastic animals - dragons, unicorns, two-headed snakes.

The history of tattooing in Japan goes back to ancient times. Members of the Japanese mafia - the Yakuza - acquired indelible drawings. The tattoos carried information about belonging to a criminal clan, status, regalia, and luck. Now the tattoo is a success among respectable and law-abiding citizens of Japan. Residents of the Japanese islands extremely rarely use Japanese characters in tattoos, preferring not to deviate from traditions and convey the meaning of the tattoo with images of mythical animals - dragons, sirens, sea monsters.

Among Europeans, hieroglyphs are popular not only because of their aesthetics (in the Russian opinion, these “krakozyabrs” look very nice), but also because of their sense of mystery. Tattoos of hieroglyphs on the neck look especially good. Their meaning is incomprehensible to others, but has a sacred meaning for the owner or owner.

Regardless of which tattoo was chosen: a hieroglyph with the meaning of love, fidelity or strength, it is worth carefully examining the sketch for visual attractiveness. There is no need to rush in such a matter - after all, only a beautiful and meaningful drawing will never be disliked, but will bring good luck to the owner. At the very least, many tattoo wearers (including celebrities such as Angelina Jolie) believe that their unusual, unique and stunning tattoo contributed to their success.

You can see:

Japanese script: Hiragana

The easiest way to learn to write is to start using Japanese script.

Hiragana is easy to remember due to its frequent use and ornate letters, which are very different from each other and remain in memory.

The Hiragana alphabet can be learned using simple copybooks to practice all the basic syllables. They clearly show the order of writing strokes

. There are no copybooks with additional syllables (nigori, hannigori and small letters). However, knowing 46 basic combinations, you can write the rest without any problems.

Having mastered the rules of drawing lines, you should move on to pure practice. These recipes will help develop motor memory

. Due to the fact that they need to outline the syllables several times, hiragana will quickly be remembered.

Materials for children will also help in consolidating knowledge. Copybooks with pictures and simple words are a good way to improve writing and learn the names of animals, plants and other objects.

A more advanced type of writing in hiragana. For each symbol there are three rows of cells:

1. In the first one you need to trace the letters along the lines.
2. In the second row, you should try to repeat the pattern yourself.
3. The third row needs to be filled in, despite the sample, and then compare what happened with the original.

Hiragana is the basic alphabet in Japanese. This is where you should start learning not only writing, but also reading and pronunciation.

Japanese characters

Japanese characters were borrowed from China, which is why locals call them “Chinese characters.” It is believed that writing in the Land of the Rising Sun appeared in the 5th century BC. e.

New Alcohol before and after tattooing

School graduates must learn 2,136 characters that are constantly used in everyday life. The list is approved by the Japanese government. Europeans are often occupied with one question. Hieroglyphs are ideal for tattoos, but can they be used all the time? Why does such a system, inconvenient for writing, still exist and not lose its position?

The relevance of hieroglyphs lies in their advantages. Japanese, Koreans and Chinese read signs differently, but at the same time understand the meaning of what they read in the same way. In addition, compact writing is convenient because an entire story can be told with just a few characters. Japanese characters are more concise and simpler than Chinese ones. They can be applied not only with black paint.

Other colors are also popular:

1. blue-green. Symbolizes the wind. At the same time, it embodies the calmness of the sky and trees, as well as the incredible power of a hurricane that sweeps away everything in its path;
2. red. Represents fire, development and violent energy. The Japanese believe that this color can protect from evil and misfortune, attracting joy and tranquility into life;
3. yellow. Inextricably linked with land, prosperity and permanence;
4. white is a controversial color. It is associated in the Land of the Rising Sun with mourning, but at the same time protects from outside forces.

Tattoos of different colors are made to give them greater expressiveness and enhance energy. For the same purpose, hieroglyphs are sometimes outlined with a red line. Sometimes additional symbols and suitable images are included in the drawing.

List of hieroglyphic keys

Below is a list of translated keys. They are indicated in the variation in which they are most used in modern language. Please note that not all radicals are independent hieroglyphs. Also, students often forget that not every hieroglyph is a radical.

To advance your kanji learning, check out our article on the three scripts. In it you will find Japanese characters for beginners with translation . Knowing the radicals with which they are formed, you will notice that it has become easier to navigate them. Now, every time you see a hieroglyph, try to immediately look for the key element in it. Soon this will become a very simple task.

How to learn all these Japanese characters keys? We invite you to check out our free course on effectively learning hieroglyphs, and our basic course Japanese for Beginners in three steps will help you consolidate your knowledge.

Keys of Japanese characters (kanji) - table and definition rules. In the article, we explained what kanji keys are and how to use them to look up characters in a dictionary.

Examples of hieroglyphs with translation

Tattoo parlors offer each client a standard set of hieroglyphs. Most often, these symbols are used as talisman tattoos.

Happiness

Hieroglyph happiness

According to the Chinese, happiness depends on the protection of Heaven and the Gods. The tattoo is aimed at good luck, happiness and luck in any area.

Great happiness

Hieroglyph Great happiness

This tattoo is considered a very powerful talisman. Many believe that she grants wishes. It is best to use it to attract happiness in a relationship with your significant other.

Love

Hieroglyph Love

Helps attract happy love. Helps to make love mutual, attract a life partner and gives happiness and tranquility.

Eternal love

Hieroglyph Eternal Love

Also used as a talisman, it represents “love to the grave”, mutual understanding, support, sincere and happy love. Keeps fiery love forever and supports the feelings of two people.

Hieroglyph Luck

Great idea for a talisman tattoo. Preserves luck and increases it, gives luck.

Wealth

Hieroglyph Wealth

Helps create the right atmosphere to attract wealth and prosperity in the right area. Provides both material and spiritual wealth. Brings both money and good luck. It is a good amulet.

Money

Hieroglyph Money

The most common tattoo option. Helps in attracting wealth and money. If this sign is placed indoors, it also attracts wealth. It looks like a hieroglyph for wealth, but it attracts only money, prosperity and good luck in such matters.

Prosperity

Hieroglyph Prosperity

Helps in matters of career advancement, regulates failures in life. Used to attract good luck in the desired field of activity. It is considered not only a talisman, but also a talisman.

Abundance

Hieroglyph Abundance

Brings wealth to the home of the tattoo bearer, both monetary and moral. Similar to the hieroglyph of prosperity, it attracts good luck to the desired field of activity.

Hieroglyph Longevity

Improves health and increases life expectancy. It is considered a talisman and protects against death at a young age.

Force

Hieroglyph Strength

Increases physical and spiritual strength, strengthens the moral foundation, helps the owner cope with problems more effectively and quickly. Suitable for exemplary family men.

Hieroglyph Joy

Used to achieve inner harmony, attract and maintain a good mood.

Health

Hieroglyph Health

Helps in solving health problems, restores physical and mental strength. Extends life and its quality.

World

Hieroglyph World

It means great responsibility and power. Can be used for tattooing due to some personal beliefs.

beauty

New What does the all-seeing eye mean and what can an amulet protect against?

Hieroglyph Beauty

It is considered a talisman for attracting beauty and maintains external and internal attractiveness.

Hieroglyph Bravery

Makes the owner of the tattoo more courageous and courageous, helps to cope with difficulties.

Independence

Hieroglyph Independence

Represents freedom of action and the desire to do things your own way. Helps get rid of bad habits or activities.

Courage

Hieroglyph Courage

Characterizes the owner of the tattoo as a strong and strong-willed person and helps to maintain this quality.

Hieroglyph Dream

Represents sublimity, inspiration, promotes the fulfillment of desires.

Fulfillment of desires

Hieroglyph Fulfillment of wishes

Like the previous hieroglyph, it helps in the fulfillment of cherished desires and is a more powerful amulet in comparison.

"Tiger"

The character 虎 is decomposed into two components : “tiger” 虍, which is key number 141 , and “legs” 儿.

Him:コ

Kun:とら – tiger

This sign is also a pictogram . A long time ago, the figure of a tiger standing on its hind legs was discernible in it (those are our “legs”!), but now only imagination will help you see it.

Character traits

The style, motive, and plot of tattoos from different countries are completely different, each of them carries its own meaning. The Japanese tattoo style does not exactly come from Japan, but rather even from China; inspired artists put into their drawings the history of existence, the battle between man and the animal world, and the delights of flowering plants. Based on such images, the Japanese copied and added their own features, subtleties, and semantic prejudices, and a new style was established.

The main factors were curvy images, and the secondary factors were bright and colorful, with elaborate lines and sharp angles, thus helping to show the figure more clearly and complement it.

It should be noted that the symbolism and subtext of each sketch has been and will remain unchanged, in other words, a tattoo tattooed on your body will mean your life path or a comparison between you and a wild animal that unites you.

The Japanese believe that getting a tattoo changes you and your lifestyle through religion, spirituality, and myth. An image on the body promises a change in nature in the direction conveyed by the image.

The most popular meanings of hieroglyph tattoos

The huge number of symbols used in hieroglyphic writing can confuse the uninitiated. The number of different characters in such languages ​​reaches several tens of thousands in each.

Some people do not want to spend too much time searching for an adequate translation of the desired word, thought or phrase and choose the most popular meanings of hieroglyph tattoos.

Very often there are words about love, family, harmony, wealth, happiness, luck, peace and dreams. Such tattoos are often applied by girls. Hieroglyphs with the meaning of fire, dragon, tiger, strength, courage, masculinity and warrior are also popular. They are mainly chosen by men.

Representatives of both sexes often also paint short phrases on their bodies that have a mystical and mysterious meaning. Their translation comes down to some philosophical categories. Hieroglyphs meaning karma, life and eternity, fate and aspirations, travel in search of truth are popular.

Types of hieroglyph tattoos

Tattoos of hieroglyphs and their meaning are a very subtle and complex topic. There are many cases where a person ordered one phrase and received a completely different one. Chinese calligraphy is very complex and every stroke affects the interpretation of the symbol.

Hieroglyphs tattoo

Therefore, if you decide to get a tattoo of Chinese characters, you should not unconditionally trust the artist, although in many salons they will provide you with a large catalog of tattoos of hieroglyphs with translation. Consult with a teacher, or better yet, a native Chinese speaker.

Chinese characters tattoo

The Chinese are very superstitious people, so their writing is perceived with a certain amount of mysticism and mystery. Many people believe that a hieroglyph on the body will help attract what it means into a person’s life. The most popular options:

• hieroglyph love tattoo – it is chosen by those who want to meet their soul mate and believe that the feeling will be mutual. Most often this is a variant of a female tattoo;

• family hieroglyph tattoo - it is applied both by those who are just striving to create a social unit, and by those who have already joined the legal community. People believe that this hieroglyph will help improve relationships within the family, mutual understanding and harmony;

• hieroglyph tattoo for happiness – this choice is made by those who strive to achieve inner harmony. The concept of happiness can include different categories and for each person this list will be different. In order not to split or make tattoos with several hieroglyphs, people choose a common word, and what is meant by it - everyone decides for himself;

New Wind rose tattoo: the meaning of the symbol for girls and men

• hieroglyph luck tattoo – most often this is the choice of young people who dream of an easy and carefree life. They want good luck to accompany them in all their endeavors. The hieroglyph on the body is designed to lure capricious fortune into a person’s life;

• tattoo hieroglyph wealth - done by people striving for financial well-being and independence.

You can choose one of these hieroglyphs, or several at once. Usually they are placed one after another vertically.

Hieroglyphs can be used to encrypt not only abstract concepts. One of the most popular options is tattoos of hieroglyphs names. Behind beautiful oriental symbols a person can hide his own name or the names of loved ones.

Sketches of hieroglyphs for tattoos with translation

Entire phrases written in hieroglyphs are also popular. Most often, famous sayings of eastern philosophers Confucius and Lao Tzu are taken for this. Eastern philosophy is extremely popular in the world. In quotes from great thinkers you can find a suitable phrase for any occasion.

Men prefer to make hieroglyphs denoting masculine concepts such as strength, courage, power, power. Or encrypt animal symbols with these symbols. The most popular option is the dragon hieroglyph tattoo. This is a traditional eastern symbol of masculinity and energy.

In addition to Chinese tattoos, Japanese hieroglyphs are also popular. However, they are much less common. This is explained by the fact that fascination with Japanese culture can be considered a relatively new phenomenon.

Japanese hieroglyphs tattoo - photo

Japanese tattoos with hieroglyphs and inscriptions usually accompany large compositions in the oriental style. They are more popular among men.

Application options

Of course it sounds great: “When a tattoo is applied to the neck, the aura is cleansed, the “cone” rises, and the chakras open.” But it is better to be guided by other criteria.

If you want others to see and know about the tattoo, if you want to say something with it, to attract attention, do it in an open place. If you want to please yourself and a loved one, you are not ready to advertise your “painting” to others, do it where it is easy to cover with clothes

If you want to please yourself and a loved one, but are not ready to advertise your “painting” to others, do it where it is easy to cover it with clothes.

Everything here is purely individual, depending on the person himself, the choice of sketch, style. Some designs look good on the arm, others on the chest or thigh.

Think about it, weigh it in any case, the choice will be yours.

Syllabic alphabet

We will now look at where and when these alphabets are used. The Japanese syllabary is called 4 letters: kana . It, in turn, is divided into two types. The structure of kana differs in that, if in Russian the alphabet is letters, then in Japanese it is syllables. Each individual syllable is called a mora .

The table below shows hiragana . It can be immediately identified by the soft writing of the syllables, which stand out with their smooth curves. It is used to write words of Japanese origin, designate various grammatical particles, prepositions and variable endings.

As we can see, the writing of the letters in the second alphabet is more angular. In modern Japanese, katakana is used in loanwords, or gairaigo . It is also used to record foreign names and geographical names of places, cities, rivers, etc.

Sometimes some Japanese words are written in the same alphabet, but this is done only for the sake of fashion or to focus attention on something. In European languages, this is done using italics, underlining, and bolding.

So, for example, if they want to highlight a word, in an advertisement or just in an article, then katakana is used. This is done because, as a rule, identifying hieroglyphs is very difficult or almost impossible.

The tables present the 46 main syllables of the Japanese alphabet. There are also additional moras that are formed using various techniques, which we discussed in detail in the article on the differences between hiragana and katakana.

Our school wants to help you learn to read and write Japanese as quickly as possible! We have two wonderful one-week courses for you in Hiragana and Katakana.

Traditional Chinese writing

Hanzi is the traditional Chinese script officially used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and even outside the country. There are about 47 thousand hieroglyphs in this language, but not all are used. To write correctly, you need to know about four thousand characters.

Many Chinese words are made up of several characters, with one character representing one syllable. In addition to traditional Chinese writing, there is also a simplified one, which was invented to improve literacy in the country. In simplified writing, characters have fewer strokes than in traditional writing; such writing is used in China, Singapore and Malaysia.

Chinese characters are considered the most ancient compared to others; they are used in Chinese, as well as in Korean and Japanese. Until 1945, this script was used even in Vietnam.

No one knows how many hieroglyphs exist (it is assumed that about 50 thousand), since their number and type are constantly changing.

Around the world, about a thousand different hieroglyphs are used every day. This amount is enough for approximately 93% of printed material.

Hanzi