As you step off the plane in Tokyo, a wave of excitement washes over you. You’ve just arrived in Japan for the first time, eager to explore the vibrant city. As you navigate through the airport, you hear someone greet you warmly:
"こんにちは！" (Konnichiwa! Hello!)
You turn to see a friendly face—a fellow traveler who noticed your confused look while reading the signs. You smile and respond:
"こんにちは。" (Konnichiwa.)
The two of you start chatting, sharing your plans for the trip. After a brief conversation, it's time to part ways.
"じゃあ、またね！" (Jā, mata ne! See you later!)
With a wave, your new friend heads towards the train station, and you make your way to the hotel, feeling more confident about your adventure.
As you reach your hotel, the receptionist greets you:
"いらっしゃいませ。" (Irasshaimase. Welcome.)
After checking in and settling into your room, you look out the window at the bustling streets below. You think about all the new experiences waiting for you and whisper to yourself:
"さようなら、昨日。" (Sayōnara, kinō. Goodbye, yesterday.)
Tomorrow is a new day, and you're ready to greet it with a smile.
"こんにちは。" is written in Japanese characters. Japanese is typically written using a combination of over 2000 different symbols called hiragana, katakana, and kanji.
Learning these is largely an act of memorization and practice. However, there is a well-accepted English pronunciation version of Japanese words, called romaji.
Rememble's lessons are mostly written in romaji, ie, "Konnichiwa".
However most decks also have hiragana/katakana and kanji versions, which you can opt into simply by changing the difficulty level during your practice sessions.
This allows you to continue learning with the letters you are most comfortable reading.