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Practise Japanese typingOnline Japanese Keyboard – Type in Japanese Instantly
All Keyboards is a free online Japanese keyboard. Type hiragana with the JIS kana layout, katakana with Ctrl or Alt, or switch to English mode, type romaji and pick hiragana or kanji from the suggestions. You can also speak Japanese, then copy, download, share or translate your text.
How to Use the Japanese Keyboard
- Type kana. Each key types the hiragana printed on it, as on a Japanese keyboard: q → た, a → ち, 3 → あ.
- Add dakuten. Type a kana, then the ゛ key ([) for a voiced sound – か + ゛ = が – or ゜ (]) for ぱ.
- Small kana and katakana. Shift types small kana such as ゃ ゅ ょ っ; Ctrl or Alt types katakana: タ イ プ.
- Or type romaji. Switch Keyboard Type to English – QWERTY, type konnichiha and pick こんにちは or kanji from the suggestions.
- Type by voice. Click the microphone and speak Japanese – your words appear as Japanese text (works in Chrome and Edge).
- Save or share your text. Use the toolbar to download, copy, print, share on WhatsApp or by email, or translate your text.
About the Japanese Language
Japanese (日本語, nihongo) is a Japonic language, the language of Japan. It is written with three scripts at once: kanji (漢字), characters borrowed from Chinese for the meaning of words; hiragana (ひらがな) for grammar and native words; and katakana (カタカナ) for foreign words and names. The two kana are syllabaries – each sign is a syllable such as ka or mi. Japanese puts the verb at the end of the sentence (わたしは みずを のみます – "I water drink"), like Hindi.
- Script
- Kanji (漢字), hiragana (ひらがな) and katakana (カタカナ)
- Language family
- Japonic
- Official status
- National language of Japan
- Related languages
- the Ryukyuan languages of Okinawa
How old is Japanese?
The oldest Japanese books, the Kojiki (712 CE) and the poetry collection Man'yōshū (8th century), are about 1,300 years old. Hiragana and katakana developed from simplified kanji in the 9th century.
How many people speak Japanese?
About 125 million people speak Japanese, almost all of them in Japan, making it one of the world's ten most spoken first languages.
Where is Japanese spoken?
Japanese is spoken in Japan, and by communities in Brazil, the USA (especially Hawaii), Peru and elsewhere. Millions of people around the world learn it.
Hiragana and katakana each have 46 basic signs; a newspaper reader also needs about 2,000 kanji.
Common Japanese Phrases
A greeting and everyday phrases, to see how Japanese looks. Click a phrase to add it to the text box.
Japanese Alphabet at a Glance (Gojūon)
Japanese kana are arranged in the gojūon (五十音, "fifty sounds") table: five vowels, then rows of consonant + vowel syllables. Each kana has a hiragana and a katakana form.
Vowels 母音 5
あ い う え お
Written as full letters at the start of a word or on their own.
Syllables 五十音 41
- K row
- か き く け こ
- S row
- さ し す せ そ
- T row
- た ち つ て と
- N row
- な に ぬ ね の
- H row
- は ひ ふ へ ほ
- M row
- ま み む め も
- Y row
- や ゆ よ
- R row
- ら り る れ ろ
- W row and n
- わ を ん
Every letter that is not a vowel.
Voiced sounds 濁音 5
が ざ だ ば ぱ
Dakuten ゛ and handakuten ゜.
Katakana カタカナ 5
ア カ テ コ パ
The same sounds, for foreign words.
Numerals 数字
〇 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九
Kanji numbers (rei, ichi, ni, san …). Everyday Japanese also uses 0–9.
Hear every letter and practise reading on the Japanese alphabet page.
Japanese Keyboard – Frequently Asked Questions
How do I type in Japanese?
Click the keys of the on-screen Japanese – Kana (JIS) keyboard, or type on your own keyboard – each key types the Japanese character shown on it. You can also switch Keyboard Type to English – QWERTY, type Japanese words in Roman letters and pick the word from the suggestions.
Is the online Japanese keyboard free?
Yes. The keyboard, translator, typing tutor and image to text tool are free to use, with no sign-up and nothing to install.
Do I need to install Japanese fonts?
No. The page loads a Unicode font for the Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji script, so Japanese text shows correctly in any modern browser, and the text you copy works in WhatsApp, Word and email.
How many letters does the Japanese alphabet have?
The Japanese alphabet has 46 basic hiragana and 46 basic katakana. See every letter with its pronunciation on the alphabet page.
Where is Japanese spoken?
Japanese is spoken in Japan, and by communities in Brazil, the USA (especially Hawaii), Peru and elsewhere. Millions of people around the world learn it.
Can I translate Japanese text?
Yes. Type your text, choose a language next to Translate and press the button – the translator opens with your text translated into English or any other supported language.
Can I type Japanese by voice?
Yes. Click the microphone in the text box and speak in Japanese – it works in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
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