Japanese

Japanese, a member of the Japonic language family, is spoken by approximately 130 Million people, the vast majority residing in Japan. However, there are also large Japanese communities in the USA, South America (especially Brazil), and in Asian countries such as Thailand or China.

Japanese uses 3 different scripts for writing: Modified Chinese characters are called Kanji, and the two syllabic scripts are Hiragana and Katakana.

It is interesting to note that Japanese has always borrowed heavily from other languages. Obviously, Chinese has played a major role, but there are also influences from Dutch and Portuguese. This influence was the result of earlier trade between Japan and these 2 European countries in particular. In recent times, there are also many English words that have found their way into Japanese vocabulary.

Hiragana:

Katakana: