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The hiragana syllabary is mainly used in combination with kanji (in which case they’re known as okurigana) to form word endings. They are also used to write words with Japanese origins, a number of adjectives and adverbs, grammatical particles, and to provide phonetic transcriptions of kanji (in which case they’re called either furigana or rubi depending on whether they’re written directly after the kanji – usually in parentheses – or directly above, in a smaller size).

Today, the katakana syllabary is primarily used to write non-Chinese foreign loan words or words that have some kind of non-Japanese derivation. They are also used in many onomatoepoeic expressions, as can be found in manga. Moreover, they are sometimes used to write words for which the kanji are complex or uncommon.

Hiragana is balck, Katakana is blue and roman letters in red.
(Romanization system shown below is Hepburn system)

あ ア a

い イ i

う ウ u

え エ e

お オ o

か カ ka

き キ ki

く ク ku

け ケ ke

こ コ ko

が ガ ga

ぎ ギ gi

ぐ グ gu

げ ゲ ge

ご ゴ go

きゃ キャ kya

きゅ キュ kyu

きょ キョ kyo

ぎゃ ギャ gya

ぎゅ ギュ gyu

ぎょ ギョ gyo

さ サ sa

し シ shi

す ス su

せ セ se

そ ソ so

ざ ザ za

じ ジ ji

ず ズ zu

ぜ ゼ ze

ぞ ゾ zo

しゃ シャ sha

しゅ シュ shu

しょ ショ sho

じゃ ジャ jya

じゅ ジュ jyu

じょ ギョ jyo

た タ ta

ち チ chi

つ ツ tsu

て テ te

と ト to

だ ダ da

で デ de

ど ド do

ちゃ チャ cha

ちゅ チュ chu

ちょ チョ cho

な ナ na

に ニ ni

ぬ ヌ nu

ね ネ ne

の ノ no

にゃ ニャ nya

にゅ ニュ nyu

にょ ニョ nyo

は ハ ha

ひ ヒ hi

ふ フ fu

へ ヘ he

ほ ホ ho

ば バ ba

び ビ bi

ぶ ブ bu

べ ベ be

ぼ ボ bo

ひゃ ヒャ hya

ひゅ ヒュ hyu

ひょ ヒョ hyo

びゃ ビャ bya

びゅ ビュ byu

びょ ビョ byo

ま マ ma

み ミ mi

む ム mu

め メ me

も モ mo

ぱ パ pa

ぴ ピ pi

ぷ プ pu

ぺ ペ pe

ぽ ポ po

みゃ ミャ mya

みゅ ミュ myu

みょ ミョ myo

ぴゃ ピャ pya

ぴゅ ピュ pyu

ぴょ ピョ pyo

や ヤ ya

ゆ ユ yu

よ ヨ yo

ら ラ ra

り リ ri

る ル ru

れ ネ ne

ろ ロ ro

りゃ リャ rya

りゅ リュ ryu

りょ リョ ryo

わ ワ wa

を ヲ wo

ん ン n

The Chinese Phonetic Alphabet
There have been many different systems of transcription used for learning to pronounce Chinese. Today the official transcription accepted on an international basis is the Pinyin alphabet, developed in China at the end of the 1950's.

Initials

A syllable in Chinese is composed of an initial, which is a consonant that begins the syllable, and a final, wich covers the rest of the syllable.

b	p	m	f
d	t	n	l
g	k	h
j	q	x
z	c	s
zh	ch	sh	r

• m, f, n, l, h and sh are pronounced as in English.
• d like "d" in "bed" (unaspirated)
  j like "g" in "genius" (unaspirated)
  z like "ds" in "beds"
  zh like "j" in "job"
  b like "p" in "spin" (unaspirated)
  g a soft unaspirated "k" sound
  x like "sh" in "sheep" but with the corners of the lips drawn back
  r somewhat like "r" in "rain"
• Particular attention should be paid to the pronunciation of the so-called "aspirated" consonants. It is necessary to breath heavily after the consonant is pronounced.
  p like "p" in "pope"
  t like "t" in "tap"
  k like "k" in "kangaroo"
  q harder than "ch" in "cheap"
  c like "ts" in "cats"
  ch (tongue curled back, aspirated)
• Distinction between certain initials:
  b / p d / t g / k j / q z / c zh / ch

Finals

In modern Chinese, there are 38 finals besides the above-represented 21 initials.

	i	u	ü
a	ia	ua
o		uo	üe
e	ie
er
ai		uai
ei		uei (ui)
ao	iao
ou	iou (iu)
an	ian	uan	üan
en	in	uen (un)	üen
ang	iang	uang
eng	ieng	ueng
ong	iong

• ie like "ye" in "yes"
• e like "e" in "her"
• er like "er" in "sister" (american pronounciation)
• ai like "y" in "by" (light)
• ei like "ay" in "bay"
• ou like "o" in "go"
• an like "an" in "can" (without stressing the "n")
• -ng (final) a nasalized soung like the "ng" in "bang" without pronouncing the "g"
• uei, uen and iou when preceded by an initial, are written as ui, un and iu respectivly.

Tones

Mandarin Chinese has four pitched tones and a "toneless" tone.

Tone	Mark	Description
1st	dā	High and level
2nd	dá	Starts medium in tone, then rises to the top
3rd	dǎ	Starts low, dips to the bottom, then rises toward the top
4th	dà	Starts at the top, then falls sharp and strong to the bottom
Neutral	da	Flat, with no emphasis

Tones Changes

A 3rd tone, when immediatlely followed by another 3rd tone, should pe pronounced in the 2nd tone.

Nǐ hǎo = Ní hǎo

Conversation

你	nǐ	(pro)	You
好	hǎo	(adj)	good, well
你好！	nǐhǎo!		Hello, How are you?
再	zài	(adv)	again
见	jiàn	(v)	see
再见！	zàijiàn!		Goodbye!