grammar question

[chryuop]

Kyle, your replies always amaze me LOL.
You spend time to answer a question about reading and all the exceptions and so on, but at a question which required a 1 line answer u get upset and send him to wikipedia LOL.

[coldsymphony13]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

Does Wikipedia not exist where you live? Kana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read the second sentence.

Actually, no it in inaccessible where I am. Thanks for your answer though anyway. ^^; So if anyone knows please let me know. I don't see the point in using both, thanks for anyone who answers.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by coldsymphony13

Actually, no it in inaccessible where I am. Thanks for your answer though anyway. ^^; So if anyone knows please let me know. I don't see the point in using both, thanks for anyone who answers.

You have to learn both hiragana and katakana, they have different roles in Japanese language and they are not strictly interchangeable. Saying there's no point in learning Katakana is like saying there's no point learning the letters X, Z and Q because they're not used as much as the rest.

Hiragana is used to support kanji and provide readings for japanese words that don't have their own kanji. Katakana is used for words imported from foreign languages. Your name, for example, other people's names, items on a menu, sports, scientific terms etc. It's used for emphasis in text sometimes, and for sound effects. If you don't know katakana, you will hit a point where you will be unable to read key words in a passage. Some text books also only provide katakana as an alternate reading to Kanji.

In short, Learn Them Both, or else stick a big hole in your japanese language ability.

[coldsymphony13]

Originally Posted by Columbine

You have to learn both hiragana and katakana, they have different roles in Japanese language and they are not strictly interchangeable. Saying there's no point in learning Katakana is like saying there's no point learning the letters X, Z and Q because they're not used as much as the rest.

Hiragana is used to support kanji and provide readings for japanese words that don't have their own kanji. Katakana is used for words imported from foreign languages. Your name, for example, other people's names, items on a menu, sports, scientific terms etc. It's used for emphasis in text sometimes, and for sound effects. If you don't know katakana, you will hit a point where you will be unable to read key words in a passage. Some text books also only provide katakana as an alternate reading to Kanji.

In short, Learn Them Both, or else stick a big hole in your japanese language ability.

Ahh.. That makes sense, I wasn't sure the point but your explaination is quite clear. Thank you so much. I'm on hiragana now... I will begin on katakana.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by chryuop

Kyle, your replies always amaze me LOL.
You spend time to answer a question about reading and all the exceptions and so on, but at a question which required a 1 line answer u get upset and send him to wikipedia LOL.

Because when someone asks a hard-to-answer question, I'll answer it. When someone asks a question that two seconds on Google will answer, I get upset at "lazy kids these days." I mean I had to surf the Internet 15 miles in the snow uphill both ways using a CPU carved out of balsa wood when I tried to learn Japanese!

Although since he apparently can't access Wikipedia, I apologize. It looks like the answer has been provided sufficiently below.