仮名(かな)

かな
noun
kana (Japanese syllabary)
language
1. kana
The Japanese syllabary writing systems, including hiragana and katakana. Contrasts with kanji (Chinese characters).
子供(こども)はまず仮名(かな)を習(なら)う。
Children first learn kana.
仮名(かな)で書(か)いてください。
Please write it in kana.
平仮名(ひらがな)と片仮名(かたかな)を合(あ)わせて仮名(かな)と言(い)う。
Hiragana and katakana together are called kana.
この漢字(かんじ)の読(よ)みを仮名(かな)で書(か)きなさい。
Write the reading of this kanji in kana.
日本語(にほんご)には仮名(かな)と漢字(かんじ)がある。
Japanese has kana and kanji.

Writing: Can also be written as かな in hiragana.

Types

Etymology: 仮(か) means 'temporary/borrowed' and 名(な) means 'name/character'. Kana were originally simplified forms of 漢字(かんじ) used for their phonetic value.

Common collocations

  • 仮名(かな)遣(づか)い (kana orthography)
  • 仮名(かな)書(が)き (writing in kana)

Related Words

Related: 平仮名(ひらがな)
Related: 片仮名(かたかな)
Compare: 漢字(かんじ) (the other writing system)
Compare: 和字(わじ) (Japanese-made characters)
basic
Added 2026.1.13 16:50 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
03500/03979_kana