Romaji

Definition

Romaji is the romanized representation of the Japanese writing system using Latin alphabet letters. It allows non-Japanese speakers to read and pronounce Japanese words without learning hiragana, katakana, or kanji.

Related terms

Hepburn Romanization: The most widely used system for romanizing Japanese, developed by James Curtis Hepburn.

Kunrei-shiki Romanization: An alternative system for romanizing Japanese, based on the pronunciation of kana characters.

Wāpuro Rōmaji: A style of typing or inputting Japanese using a standard QWERTY keyboard.