Me Mo

Katakana 1

Chapter 14 · Me Mo

🌿 Finishing the M Row — メ モ

Two characters complete the M row: メ (me) and モ (mo). Today you also get a word many people learn Japanese for: アニメ. Romaji is shown for everything.

✨ Your Two New Characters — メ モ

メ
me
like "me" in mess ("meh")
2 strokes · stroke order ▸
Memory hook: an X on a treasure map marking the spot: me, here! Two crossing strokes. Hiragana twin: め.
モ
mo
like "mo" in more, short ("moh")
3 strokes · stroke order ▸
Memory hook: a mop: a handle with two crossbars. Hiragana twin: も.
KatakanaHiragana twinRomaji
me
mo

🔤 The Complete M Row

mamimumemo

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

Look-Alikes: メ and ナ, and a Kanji Origin for モ メ (me) is two strokes that cross like an X, while ナ (na), from Chapter 9, has a horizontal bar with a stroke through it. Check that the strokes really cross, like a multiplication sign. And モ (mo) comes from the kanji 毛 (ke, "hair, fur"), the same way エ came from 工 and カ from 力.

📖 Read It — Real Words

#WordRomajiEnglishNote
1memomemo; noteme-mo
2animeanimea-ni-me: the word you came here for
3MekishikoMexicome-ki-shi-ko: four beats
4mēkāmaker; manufacturerme-e-ka-a
5meikumake-upme-i-ku
6mētāmeter (taxi meter, gas meter)me-e-ta-a
7mōtāmotormo-o-ta-a
8mosukumosquemo-su-ku
9monomono; thingmo-no
Words That Travel Look at アニメ: it's actually the Japanese shortening of the English word animation, and Japanese then sends it back out to the world: the borrowing goes in both directions.

✍️ 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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me · mo · ma · mi · mu

2. Read aloud and translate: · ·

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memo (memo) · anime (anime) · Mekishiko (Mexico)

3. Read aloud and translate: · ·

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mēkā (maker) · meiku (make-up) · mētā (meter)

4. Read aloud and translate: · ·

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mōtā (motor) · mosuku (mosque) · mono (mono; thing)

5. How can you tell from ?

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メ is two strokes crossing like an X; ナ has a horizontal bar with a stroke through it.

6. Write in katakana: memo · anime · mōtā (check the stroke order).

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· ·

Coming Up in Chapter 5 The Y row: ヤ ユ ヨ (ya, yu, yo). Only three characters in this row, since Japanese has no yi or ye. You'll read タイヤ (tyre), ユーモア (humour) and ヨーヨー (yo-yo).