Hiragana & Katakana to Romaji Converter
Paste or type Japanese hiragana and katakana text below and instantly see the romaji pronunciation. Non-kana characters (kanji, English, numbers) are left unchanged.
What is Romaji?
Romaji (ローマ字)
Romaji is the romanization of Japanese text using the Latin alphabet. It represents how Japanese words sound using the letters A through Z, making it possible for non-Japanese readers to pronounce Japanese words without knowing hiragana or katakana.
When to Use Romaji
Romaji is commonly found in Japanese textbooks for beginners, on road signs and train station names, in dictionaries, and for typing Japanese on keyboards. However, as you advance in your studies, reading kana directly becomes essential.
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Start JLPT N5 CourseFrequently Asked Questions
What is romaji and why is it useful?
Romaji is the representation of Japanese sounds using the Latin alphabet (the letters used in English). It is useful for beginners who have not yet memorized hiragana and katakana, as it allows them to read Japanese words using familiar letters. For example, the hiragana word こんにちは is written as "konnichiha" in romaji. While romaji is helpful for getting started, most Japanese learners aim to read kana directly as they progress.
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Hiragana and katakana are two of the three writing systems in Japanese. Both represent the same set of sounds (46 basic characters each), but they are used in different contexts. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammatical particles, and verb endings. Katakana is used for foreign loanwords, scientific terms, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. For example, "sushi" in hiragana is すし and in katakana is スシ.
How does the kana to romaji conversion work?
This tool maps each hiragana and katakana character to its corresponding romaji pronunciation. It handles special cases like small tsu which doubles the following consonant, combination characters (yoon) like きゃ which become "kya", and the long vowel mark used in katakana. Non-kana characters are left unchanged.
Can this tool convert kanji to romaji?
No, this tool only converts hiragana and katakana characters to romaji. Kanji characters have multiple possible readings depending on context. If your text contains kanji, those characters will be passed through unchanged.
Which romanization system does this converter use?
This converter uses a modified Hepburn romanization system, the most widely used system for representing Japanese in the Latin alphabet. In this system, し is "shi", ち is "chi", つ is "tsu", and ふ is "fu".