Ne No

Katakana 1

Chapter 10 · Ne No

🌿 Finishing the N Row — ネ ノ

Two characters complete the N row: ネ (ne) and ノ (no). One of them is the most complicated shape you've met so far (four strokes) and the other is the simplest (one stroke). Romaji is shown for everything.

✨ Your Two New Characters — ネ ノ

ネ
ne
like "ne" in net ("neh")
4 strokes · stroke order ▸
Memory hook: a necktie hanging on a rack: a hook on top and a crossed knot below. Hiragana twin: ね.
ノ
no
like "no" in note, short ("noh")
1 strokes · stroke order ▸
Memory hook: the single slash of a no-entry sign. One stroke, the simplest katakana. Hiragana twin: の.
KatakanaHiragana twinRomaji
ne
no

🔤 The Complete N Row

naninuneno

Top row katakana, bottom row hiragana: say each pair aloud.

ノ Is the Long Stroke of ソ, シ, ツ and ン ノ (no) is a single slanting stroke, and it is easy to see it hidden inside several look-alikes: ソ, シ and ツ all have one similar stroke plus extra marks. So count the strokes: one stroke means ノ (no), two means ソ (so), and three means シ (shi) or ツ (tsu).

📖 Read It — Real Words

#WordRomajiEnglishNote
1nōtonotebookno-o-to; not "note" but a school notebook
2nekutainecktiene-ku-ta-i: four beats
3kōnācorner; section (of a shop)ko-o-na-a: four beats
4nōsunorthno-o-su
5tonātoner (printer)to-na-a
6nōnono-o; as in ノーコメント later
7NesuNess (as in Loch Ness)ne-su
Katakana Meanings Notice that ノート means a notebook (the English note plus the ー and ト), not a musical note or a short message. Likewise コーナー is a corner, but in a shop it also means a department or section: "the books corner". Katakana words keep their English roots but pick up their own meanings, so when something doesn't fit, check the context.

✍️ Try It Yourself — れんしゅう

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Read aloud: · · · ·

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ne · no · na · ni · nu

2. Read aloud and translate: ·

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nōto (notebook) · nekutai (necktie)

3. Read aloud and translate: · ·

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kōnā (corner) · nōsu (north) · tonā (toner)

4. How many strokes do , and have?

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ノ has one; ソ has two; シ has three.

5. How many beats are in ?

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Four: ネ · ク · タ · イ (ne-ku-ta-i).

6. Write in katakana: nōto · nekutai · nōsu (check the stroke order).

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· ·

Coming Up in Chapter 5 The H row begins: ハ ヒ フ (ha, hi, fu). You'll read コーヒー (coffee), ハート (heart), ナイフ (knife) and ヒーター (heater).