Ta Chi Tsu
Katakana 1
Chapter 7 · Ta Chi Tsu
🌿 The T Row Begins — タ チ ツ
Three new characters: タ (ta), チ (chi) and ツ (tsu). As in hiragana, the middle two are not quite the Roman "ti" and "tu": it's chi and tsu. This is also the chapter where we settle the famous katakana look-alike, シ versus ツ. Romaji is shown for everything.
✨ Your Three New Characters — タ チ ツ
| Katakana | Hiragana twin | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| タ | た | ta |
| チ | ち | chi |
| ツ | つ | tsu |
⚠️ The Big One: シ versus ツ
These two trip up almost everyone, so here is the pair side by side. Both have three strokes. The difference is the direction.
| Character | Short strokes | Long stroke | Sound | Picture to remember |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| シ | nearly horizontal, lying down like sideways eyes | sweeps up from the bottom left | shi | a crying she, tears falling sideways |
| ツ | more vertical, standing upright | sweeps down from the top | tsu | a tsunami, spray falling down |
📖 Read It — Real Words
| # | Word | Romaji | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | タクシー | takushī | taxi | ta-ku-shi-i: four beats |
| 2 | タイ | Tai | Thailand; tie | ta-i; context tells you which |
| 3 | ツアー | tsuā | tour | tsu-a-a: three beats |
| 4 | スーツ | sūtsu | suit | su-u-tsu |
| 5 | タコス | takosu | tacos | ta-ko-su |
| 6 | アーチ | āchi | arch | a-a-chi |
| 7 | チーク | chīku | cheek (blusher); teak | chi-i-ku |
| 8 | ツタ | tsuta | (drill) | a sound drill: tsu-ta |
✍️ Try It Yourself — れんしゅう
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Read aloud: タ · チ · ツ
Show answer
ta · chi · tsu
2. Read aloud and translate: タクシー · ツアー
Show answer
takushī (taxi) · tsuā (tour)
3. Read aloud and translate: スーツ · タコス · アーチ
Show answer
sūtsu (suit) · takosu (tacos) · āchi (arch)
4. How do you tell シ from ツ?
Show answer
シ: short strokes lying sideways, long stroke sweeping up. ツ: short strokes upright, long stroke sweeping down.
5. How many strokes do ソ, シ and ツ have?
Show answer
ソ has two; シ and ツ each have three.
6. Write in katakana: takushī · tsuā · sūtsu (check the stroke order).
Show answer
タクシー · ツアー · スーツ