How to type hiragana with romaji
Romaji is Japanese written in the Latin alphabet. Each hiragana is one syllable, usually a consonant plus a vowel: ka = か, su = す, shi = し. Type the whole word and the converter splits it into syllables for you: sushi becomes すし and スシ.
The same spelling rules work on a computer or phone with a Japanese keyboard (IME), so this page is also good practice for typing Japanese.
Hepburn vs Kunrei: the main spelling rules
There are two common ways to write Japanese in romaji. Hepburn follows English pronunciation and is used for signs, passports and most textbooks. Kunrei follows the kana chart more strictly and is taught in Japanese schools. This converter accepts both.
| Kana | Hepburn | Kunrei | You can also type |
|---|---|---|---|
| し | shi | si | shi |
| ち | chi | ti | chi |
| つ | tsu | tu | tsu |
| ふ | fu | hu | fu |
| じ | ji | zi | ji |
| しゃ しゅ しょ | sha shu sho | sya syu syo | sha |
| ちゃ ちゅ ちょ | cha chu cho | tya tyu tyo | cha |
| じゃ じゅ じょ | ja ju jo | zya zyu zyo | ja |
| ぢ づ | ji zu | zi zu | di, du |
| を | o | o | wo |
| ん | n (n' before a vowel or y) | n (n' before a vowel or y) | n, nn or n' |
| っ + consonant | double it: kk, tt, ss, pp; っち = tchi | double it: kk, tt, ss, pp | kitte, matcha |
| おう / おお (long o) | ou, oo (ō with macrons) | ou, oo (ô with circumflex) | ou or ō |
| ー (katakana long mark) | repeat the vowel or ā ī ū ē ō | repeat the vowel or â î û ê ô | - |
Common mistakes
- ん before a vowel.
kinenis きねん (anniversary), butkin'enis きんえん (no smoking). Add an apostrophe after n when ん comes before a vowel or y:hon'ya= ほんや. - nn before a vowel. In
konnichiwa, the first n is ん and the second n starts に: こんにちわ. At the end of a word,nandnnboth give ん. - Particles は, へ and を. They are written wa, e and o in romaji, but the converter can't know which word is a particle. Type
hafor は (こんにちは =konnichiha),hefor へ andwofor を. - Long vowels. Tōkyō is とうきょう in hiragana: a long o is usually written おう. Type
toukyouorTōkyō. A few words use おお instead (おおきい ōkii, big), so typeookiifor those. In katakana, a long vowel is the dash ー: type-. - Small っ. Double the next consonant:
kitte= きって,zasshi= ざっし. Before ch, Hepburn writes t:matcha= まっちゃ. - ti and di. In this converter
tiis the Kunrei spelling of ち. For the foreign sound ティ (party = パーティー) typethi, anddhifor ディ. - l and r. Japanese has one sound between l and r.
laandraboth give ら.
Practice reading hiragana and katakana
Converting is a good start, but reading kana without help is faster than you think. Learn all 46 hiragana with the hiragana chart and Sushi Quiz, then the same sounds in katakana with the katakana chart and quiz. Want to see your own name in Japanese? Try the name in Japanese converter.
FAQ
- How do I convert romaji to hiragana?
- Type the romaji in the box at the top of this page. The hiragana and katakana appear instantly as you type, and you can copy either one with the Copy button.
- Can I convert hiragana or katakana to romaji?
- Yes. Open the "Kana → Romaji" tab and paste your text. Choose Hepburn, Hepburn with macrons (ō), passport style or Kunrei.
- Does it convert to kanji?
- No. One sound can be written with many different kanji, so choosing the right kanji needs a dictionary. This tool converts between romaji and kana only. Kanji in pasted text is left as it is.
- How do I type Japanese without a Japanese keyboard?
- Use the Japanese keyboard on this page: tap the kana to write, then copy the text. Or type romaji in the converter and copy the hiragana or katakana.
- Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?
- No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type leaves your device.
- Which romaji system should I use?
- Hepburn is the most common outside Japan and is used on passports and signs. If you learned romaji at a Japanese school, you may know Kunrei (si, ti, tu). This converter understands both.