Katakana is one of the three kinds of characters in Japanese: hiragana 平仮名, katakana カタカナ and kanji カンジ. All three types of characters can be presented in the same sentence without any concrete grammar rules. However, there is a convention in written Japanese. In this blog, we will talk only about katakana.
There is a consensus in many Japanese language textbooks that katakana will be used for representing sound (onomatopoeia), loanwords and foreign names (which are three majors uses of katakana).
Start off with foreign name.
Foreign names can came from any origin except the ones already exist in Japanese.
For example,
My name: Chatarin Wangsanuwat (Thai origin) チャタリン (cha-ta-ri-n) ワンサヌワット (wan-sa-nu-wat-to)
Smith (English origin) スミス (su-mi-su)
Japanese origin names are written in kanji 上田 (u-e-da)
Next is loanword.
Words that are from any other origins except Japanese's.
For example,
pizza ピザ (pi-za)
Nevertheless, there are some katakanas presented not according to this convention.
For example,
For the last example, towards the bottom of the sign, though there are some kanjis and hiraganas present, ni-hon (meaning Japan) is written in katakana ニッポン instead of the more common kanji 日本 （ni-hon）.
From these examples, one assumption can be made. The writer decide to use some katakanas not following the convention in order to emphasize the words. In English, apart from bold, italics and underline, we can use capital letter to emphasize the word, indicating emotion attaches to the words (such as shouting)
Please don't leave the trash on the floor, THANKS! (This "THANKS!" indicates writer shouting)
The party was NOT fun AT ALL. (The writer emphasize the word "NOT" and "AT ALL").
However, we cannot use capital for Japanese characters.
Consider this sentence,
私は 昨日 日本のレストランで とんかつと チャーハンを 食べました。 There are all three types of Japanese characters in the sentence. The usage of each follows the convention.
Therefore, if the writer use katakana instead of kanji or hiragana aka not following the convention, he can emphasize that word.
From example above, ゴミをすてないで！ The writer emphasize the word "trash" (ゴミ) by using katakana.
Therefore, there is flexibility within the characters used. Exposing to Japanese reading and writing will definitely help you understand more and become more comfortable using types of characters not according to the convention.
Start off with foreign name.
Foreign names can came from any origin except the ones already exist in Japanese.
For example,
My name: Chatarin Wangsanuwat (Thai origin) チャタリン (cha-ta-ri-n) ワンサヌワット (wan-sa-nu-wat-to)
Smith (English origin) スミス (su-mi-su)
Japanese origin names are written in kanji 上田 (u-e-da)
Next is loanword.
Words that are from any other origins except Japanese's.
For example,
pizza ピザ (pi-za)
- ブラザーフッズミーティング, Brotherhood meeting, sign
The last one is to represent sound.
- ズム、Boom, Manga "Vinland Saga"
Nevertheless, there are some katakanas presented not according to this convention.
For example,
- ゴミをすてないで！、 Don't trash, Street sign
From here, you might notice that the word ゴミ (go-mi) is not quite familiar to the English speakers. According to aforementioned convention, go-mi or "trash" should be written in either hiragana ごみ (also go-mi) .
- イカの炙り焼き (Ika no Aburiyaki), Grilled Squid, Japanese menu
From this Japanese menu, イカの炙り焼き (Ika no Aburiyaki). I-ka is written in katakana meaning Squid, instead of in kanji 烏賊 (also i-ka).
Notice that in this same menu, saba, Mackerel fish, is written in katakana as ザバ instead of hiragana さば as well.
- ニッポン、 Japan, Street/advertisement sign
For the last example, towards the bottom of the sign, though there are some kanjis and hiraganas present, ni-hon (meaning Japan) is written in katakana ニッポン instead of the more common kanji 日本 （ni-hon）.
From these examples, one assumption can be made. The writer decide to use some katakanas not following the convention in order to emphasize the words. In English, apart from bold, italics and underline, we can use capital letter to emphasize the word, indicating emotion attaches to the words (such as shouting)
Please don't leave the trash on the floor, THANKS! (This "THANKS!" indicates writer shouting)
The party was NOT fun AT ALL. (The writer emphasize the word "NOT" and "AT ALL").
However, we cannot use capital for Japanese characters.
Consider this sentence,
私は 昨日 日本のレストランで とんかつと チャーハンを 食べました。 There are all three types of Japanese characters in the sentence. The usage of each follows the convention.
Therefore, if the writer use katakana instead of kanji or hiragana aka not following the convention, he can emphasize that word.
From example above, ゴミをすてないで！ The writer emphasize the word "trash" (ゴミ) by using katakana.
Therefore, there is flexibility within the characters used. Exposing to Japanese reading and writing will definitely help you understand more and become more comfortable using types of characters not according to the convention.
I think it’s interesting that you chose to write “hiragana” in kanji and both “katakana” and “kanji” in katakana in the first paragraph instead of the expected ひらがな, カタカナ, and 漢字 (kanji).
ReplyDeleteYou explained the uses of katakana really well through your examples! “ゴミ” is often written in katakana, though, so it may not necessarily be for emphasis in the example you used.
よくがんばりましたね。
Well organized observation!
ReplyDeleteI think you explained the uses of katakana really well.
One thing I have to mention that "日本" is read as "nihon" & "nippon" both. Both are correct.
Since they both are widely used, the Japanese government has not stipulated in either the formal reading.
※チャハーン⇒チャーハン ですよ。
ワンサヌワットさん、
ReplyDeleteThese are great examples you found! I especially like the one where 日本 is written out as ニッポン. I wonder, what is that sign advertising?
You said that カタカナ is used as boldface, italics, or underlining is in English; does Thai script have any particular emphasis markers like カタカナ or italics?
アレン
写真は非常に面白い、アール、私はKatagana上のあなたの分析に同意する。
ReplyDeleteアレンさん、
ReplyDeleteI am not 100 percent positive but from time to time we use all the bold, italics, underline and change the size to be bigger. Also, we use quotation, but I can't really use quotation in English because in English, quotation, instead of emphasizing the words, indicates that the words should be interpreted in a sarcastic way.
ワンサヌワット
I like how you connected the use of katakana in unusual situations to the English use of capitalization, bolding and italics; it really helps people connect and not think 'hey, look how weird Japanese is' and instead think 'oh, so this is how they do this.' Good analysis.
ReplyDeleteI like the connection between emphasis and katakana being "different," somehow breaking normal grammatical convention to get attention. Certainly English has that in the form of capital letters or italics, but the Japanese one is cooler. Although, to the untrained eye (me), katakana doesn't feel like emphasis right now
ReplyDeleteワンサヌワットさん、
ReplyDeleteGood use of pictures to illustrate the different applications of katakana. I remember being confused when I first saw 日本 written as ニッポン, thinking that katakana was only used for words of foreign origin. Your analysis is clear and logical, a nice explanation of a potentially confusing use of katakana. The connections between emphasis in writing English and Japanese make it easy for people who don't read Japanese to understand the concept.
分析は面白くてよくできましたよ！
The more examples I see the more amazed I am at how flexible the multiple ways of writing words in Japanese can be! In your post the example of writing 'ゴミ' in katakana to draw people's attention is just something I would never have thought of -- in addition to being very expressive, katakana is also very practical!
ReplyDelete