Katakana is primarily used for writing foreign words, onomatopoeic words, scientific terms, and borrowed words from other languages. It has a more angular and straight appearance compared to hiragana, which has a more rounded and curvy look. Katakana is an essential part of learning Japanese and is commonly used in everyday life, such as in menus, signs, and loanwords.
Some of Katakana words might sound funny to you if you know English. For example, pan cake is ホットケーキ in Japanese (Hotto keeki) , which means hot cake! (These Katakana words that don't make sense to English speakers called "和製英語" wasei eigo)
In this video, you can learn 100 Katakana words that you can use in everyday life and also the stroke order of Katakana letters as well.
The list of Katakana wasei eigo わせいえいご 和製英語
part-time job アルバイト
wipes ウエットティッシュ
air conditioner (shorten word) エアコン
camper キャンピングカー
electrical outlets コンセント
stapler ホッチキス ( It is a loanword from the English brand name "Hotchkiss.")
pancakes ホットケーキ(It is also called パンケーキ nowadays.
backpack リュック
cashier レジ
dress shirt ワイシャツ came from "white shirt"
dress ワンピース dress
*dress ドレス is also exist in Japanese but ドレス is worn for special occasions or formal events. Often worn at weddings, parties, and other formal gatherings.
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