kana
9.3
A written symbol that stands for one syllable in hiragana or katakana
- noun
- /ˈkɑːnə/
- Specialized
:
carácter kana
- Learning to read and write kana is the first step for many students of Japanese.
Examples
-
The kana characters are essential for learning Japanese.
-
She practiced writing every kana until she could remember them all.
-
Each kana represents a single syllable in the Japanese language.
-
She wrote her name in kana for the class.
-
Each kana represents a single syllable in the Japanese language.
-
Learning to read and write kana is the first step for many students of Japanese.
-
She wrote her name in kana for the class.
Synonyms
character
vskana
136
3.2
A written sign such as a letter or number
is a narrower sign that represents syllable sounds in a specific syllabic system
6.1
A written sign that shows one speech sound
represents syllable units rather than single speech sounds
Surface Forms
Etymology
Kana comes from two Japanese parts, 仮 'temporary' and 名 'name', so a single kana is like a 'temporary name' for a sound. A kana character simply 'names' one syllable, which is why each one stands for a single sound.