Romaji ↔ Kana Converter

Convert between romaji, hiragana, and katakana instantly. Type in the box — results appear live.

Romaji is the representation of Japanese sounds using the Latin alphabet. The Hepburn system — used in passports, train stations, and most textbooks — is the international standard. This converter handles all standard hiragana and katakana, including combination characters like しゃ (sha) and ちょ (cho).

  1. Type romaji, hiragana, or katakana
  2. See all three scripts instantly
  3. Copy any output with one click
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is romaji?

Romaji is the representation of Japanese sounds using the Latin alphabet. It is used in Japanese passports, train station signage, textbooks for learners, and websites. The most common system is Hepburn romanisation, which writes words as they sound to English speakers — for example 'konnichiwa' instead of the literal 'konnichiha'.

What is the Hepburn romanisation system?

Hepburn romanisation, developed by James Curtis Hepburn in the 19th century, is the most widely used system for writing Japanese in the Latin alphabet. It is the standard on Japanese passports and railway signs. Unlike the Kunrei-shiki system, Hepburn reflects actual pronunciation, making it more intuitive for English speakers.

What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?

Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements. Katakana is used for foreign loanwords, emphasis, onomatopoeia, and scientific terms. Both are phonetic scripts with 46 basic characters each, representing the same sounds but written differently. Most Japanese text combines all three scripts plus kanji.

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