@syllst/ja 0.1.1

package/src/syllabi/katakana/lessons/lesson-02.mdx

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+---
+type: lesson
+id: japanese-katakana-lesson-02
+title: "Lesson 2 — Ka-row and Sa-row (カキクケコ・サシスセソ)"
+description: "Learn the カ-row and サ-row katakana characters"
+order: 2
+parentId: japanese-katakana
+difficulty: beginner
+cefrLevel: A1
+categories:
+  - consonants
+  - basic-characters
+metadata:
+  estimatedTime: 25
+  prerequisites: [japanese-katakana-lesson-01]
+  learningObjectives:
+    - id: obj-recognize-ka-sa-rows
+      description: "Recognize the ka-row and sa-row katakana characters"
+      skill: character-recognition
+      references: [katakana-ka, katakana-ki, katakana-ku, katakana-ke, katakana-ko, katakana-sa, katakana-shi, katakana-su, katakana-se, katakana-so]
+    - id: obj-sounds-ka-sa-rows
+      description: "Map ka-row and sa-row katakana to their sounds"
+      skill: character-sound-mapping
+      references: [katakana-ka, katakana-ki, katakana-ku, katakana-ke, katakana-ko, katakana-sa, katakana-shi, katakana-su, katakana-se, katakana-so]
+    - id: obj-loanwords-ka-sa
+      description: "Read common loanwords using ka-row and sa-row katakana"
+      skill: word-recognition
+      references: [katakana-ka, katakana-sa, katakana-su, katakana-ko]
+---
+
+# Lesson 2 — Ka-row and Sa-row (カキクケコ・サシスセソ)
+
+## Introduction
+
+In this lesson, you will learn two rows of katakana at once: the **カ-row** (ka, ki, ku, ke, ko) and the **サ-row** (sa, shi, su, se, so). Since you already know these sounds from hiragana, the focus here is on learning the new shapes.
+
+## Ka-row Characters
+
+:::character-set{id="katakana-ka-row" title="Katakana Ka-row (カ行)"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ka" canonicalRef="katakana-ka" char="カ" name="カ (ka)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ka" data:row="ka" data:hiragana="か"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ki" canonicalRef="katakana-ki" char="キ" name="キ (ki)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ki" data:row="ka" data:hiragana="き"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ku" canonicalRef="katakana-ku" char="ク" name="ク (ku)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ku" data:row="ka" data:hiragana="く"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ke" canonicalRef="katakana-ke" char="ケ" name="ケ (ke)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ke" data:row="ka" data:hiragana="け"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ko" canonicalRef="katakana-ko" char="コ" name="コ (ko)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ko" data:row="ka" data:hiragana="こ"}
+
+:::
+
+## Sa-row Characters
+
+:::character-set{id="katakana-sa-row" title="Katakana Sa-row (サ行)"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-sa" canonicalRef="katakana-sa" char="サ" name="サ (sa)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="sa" data:row="sa" data:hiragana="さ"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-shi" canonicalRef="katakana-shi" char="シ" name="シ (shi)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="shi" data:row="sa" data:hiragana="し"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-su" canonicalRef="katakana-su" char="ス" name="ス (su)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="su" data:row="sa" data:hiragana="す"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-se" canonicalRef="katakana-se" char="セ" name="セ (se)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="se" data:row="sa" data:hiragana="せ"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-so" canonicalRef="katakana-so" char="ソ" name="ソ (so)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="so" data:row="sa" data:hiragana="そ"}
+
+:::
+
+## Pronunciation Guide
+
+### Ka-row
+
+| Character | Romaji | Sound | Hiragana |
+|-----------|--------|-------|----------|
+| カ | ka | /ka/ | か |
+| キ | ki | /ki/ | き |
+| ク | ku | /kɯ/ | く |
+| ケ | ke | /ke/ | け |
+| コ | ko | /ko/ | こ |
+
+### Sa-row
+
+| Character | Romaji | Sound | Hiragana |
+|-----------|--------|-------|----------|
+| サ | sa | /sa/ | さ |
+| シ | shi | /ɕi/ | し |
+| ス | su | /sɯ/ | す |
+| セ | se | /se/ | せ |
+| ソ | so | /so/ | そ |
+
+Note that シ (shi) is irregular, as in hiragana — "si" does not exist in Japanese.
+
+## Writing Tips — Ka-row
+
+- **カ**: Two strokes — a diagonal stroke and a crossbar with a downward hook. Compare to か, which has three strokes.
+- **キ**: Three strokes — two short horizontals and a vertical crossing them, plus a final short stroke.
+- **ク**: Two strokes — starts with a small angled stroke then a larger hooked curve. Much simpler than く.
+- **ケ**: Three strokes — a vertical, a crossbar, and a diagonal stroke going down-right.
+- **コ**: Two strokes — a top horizontal and a right angle stroke below, forming a backwards "C."
+
+## Writing Tips — Sa-row
+
+- **サ**: Three strokes — two short diagonals and a vertical. Compact and angular.
+- **シ**: Three strokes — two short strokes on the left and a longer curved stroke on the right. Note: シ and ツ are commonly confused — シ has horizontal-leaning strokes.
+- **ス**: Two strokes — a curved arc and a bottom hook. Resembles a music note.
+- **セ**: Two strokes — a top horizontal and a bottom stroke that hooks left. Resembles "セ" visually.
+- **ソ**: Two strokes — a short diagonal and a longer diagonal sweep. Note: ソ and ン are also commonly confused.
+
+## Confusable Pairs
+
+**シ vs ツ** and **ソ vs ン** are the most notorious confusable pairs in all of katakana:
+
+| Pair | Difference |
+|------|------------|
+| シ (shi) vs ツ (tsu) | シ strokes lean more horizontally; ツ strokes lean more vertically |
+| ソ (so) vs ン (n) | ソ has a longer diagonal sweep; ン curves inward and down |
+
+A helpful mnemonic: **シ** looks like a smiley face (ニコ) — the two dots are the eyes and the curve is the mouth. **ツ** looks like a grimace — the two dots are vertical.
+
+## Loanword Practice
+
+One of the best ways to learn katakana is through loanwords you already know:
+
+| Katakana | Romaji | Source | Meaning |
+|----------|--------|--------|---------|
+| スキー | sukī | ski | skiing |
+| カフェ | kafe | café | coffee shop |
+| スケート | sukēto | skate | skating |
+| コース | kōsu | course | course |
+| サイズ | saizu | size | size |
+
+## Key Points
+
+1. **Sounds are identical to hiragana**: カ = か = /ka/, etc.
+2. **Shapes are more angular**: Katakana is sharper and simpler.
+3. **シ vs ツ**: The most important confusable pair — pay attention to stroke direction.
+4. **ソ vs ン**: Another common confusion — study the shapes carefully.
+5. **Loanwords**: Knowing these rows unlocks many English-derived words in Japanese.
+
+## Practice Recognition
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-02-recognition-ka" type="matching" title="Match Ka-row Characters" skill="character-recognition" tests="katakana-ka,katakana-ki,katakana-ku,katakana-ke,katakana-ko" objectiveId="obj-recognize-ka-sa-rows"}
+
+**Question:** Match each ka-row katakana to its romaji
+
+- カ
+- キ
+- ク
+- ケ
+- コ
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- カ = ka
+- キ = ki
+- ク = ku
+- ケ = ke
+- コ = ko
+
+**Explanation:** The ka-row katakana represents the same /k/ + vowel sounds as the hiragana か-row. The shapes are more angular and simplified.
+
+:::
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-02-recognition-sa" type="matching" title="Match Sa-row Characters" skill="character-recognition" tests="katakana-sa,katakana-shi,katakana-su,katakana-se,katakana-so" objectiveId="obj-recognize-ka-sa-rows"}
+
+**Question:** Match each sa-row katakana to its romaji
+
+- サ
+- シ
+- ス
+- セ
+- ソ
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- サ = sa
+- シ = shi
+- ス = su
+- セ = se
+- ソ = so
+
+**Explanation:** Note シ (shi) is the irregular sound — as in hiragana, "si" does not exist in Japanese. シ is the most commonly confused character in katakana (with ツ), so study the stroke orientation carefully.
+
+:::
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-02-loanwords" type="fill-in-blank" title="Read Loanwords" skill="word-recognition" tests="katakana-ka,katakana-sa,katakana-su,katakana-ko" objectiveId="obj-loanwords-ka-sa"}
+
+**Question:** Read these common loanwords
+
+- スキー = ___
+- カフェ = ___
+- コース = ___
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- スキー = "sukī" (ski / skiing)
+- カフェ = "kafe" (café)
+- コース = "kōsu" (course)
+
+**Explanation:** The long vowel mark ー (called chōonpu) extends the preceding vowel. It appears frequently in katakana loanwords and is unique to katakana — hiragana has different ways to write long vowels.
+
+:::
+
+## What's Next
+
+In Lesson 3, you will learn the **タ-row** (ta, chi, tsu, te, to) and the **ナ-row** (na, ni, nu, ne, no). You will also encounter ツ (tsu), which will help you solidify the difference between シ and ツ.

package/src/syllabi/katakana/lessons/lesson-03.mdx

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+---
+type: lesson
+id: japanese-katakana-lesson-03
+title: "Lesson 3 — Ta-row and Na-row (タチツテト・ナニヌネノ)"
+description: "Learn the タ-row and ナ-row katakana — including the crucial ツ (tsu)"
+order: 3
+parentId: japanese-katakana
+difficulty: beginner
+cefrLevel: A1
+categories:
+  - consonants
+  - basic-characters
+metadata:
+  estimatedTime: 25
+  prerequisites: [japanese-katakana-lesson-02]
+  learningObjectives:
+    - id: obj-recognize-ta-na-rows
+      description: "Recognize the ta-row and na-row katakana characters"
+      skill: character-recognition
+      references: [katakana-ta, katakana-chi, katakana-tsu, katakana-te, katakana-to, katakana-na, katakana-ni, katakana-nu, katakana-ne, katakana-no]
+    - id: obj-sounds-ta-na-rows
+      description: "Map ta-row and na-row katakana to their sounds"
+      skill: character-sound-mapping
+      references: [katakana-ta, katakana-chi, katakana-tsu, katakana-te, katakana-to, katakana-na, katakana-ni, katakana-nu, katakana-ne, katakana-no]
+    - id: obj-tsu-vs-shi
+      description: "Distinguish ツ (tsu) from シ (shi)"
+      skill: character-recognition
+      references: [katakana-tsu, katakana-shi]
+---
+
+# Lesson 3 — Ta-row and Na-row (タチツテト・ナニヌネノ)
+
+## Introduction
+
+In this lesson, you will learn the **タ-row** (ta, chi, tsu, te, to) and the **ナ-row** (na, ni, nu, ne, no). The ta-row contains two irregular sounds — chi and tsu — that you already know from hiragana. This lesson also gives you the opportunity to practice distinguishing **ツ** from **シ**, the most commonly confused katakana pair.
+
+## Ta-row Characters
+
+:::character-set{id="katakana-ta-row" title="Katakana Ta-row (タ行)"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ta" canonicalRef="katakana-ta" char="タ" name="タ (ta)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ta" data:row="ta" data:hiragana="た"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-chi" canonicalRef="katakana-chi" char="チ" name="チ (chi)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="chi" data:row="ta" data:hiragana="ち"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-tsu" canonicalRef="katakana-tsu" char="ツ" name="ツ (tsu)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="tsu" data:row="ta" data:hiragana="つ"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-te" canonicalRef="katakana-te" char="テ" name="テ (te)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="te" data:row="ta" data:hiragana="て"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-to" canonicalRef="katakana-to" char="ト" name="ト (to)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="to" data:row="ta" data:hiragana="と"}
+
+:::
+
+## Na-row Characters
+
+:::character-set{id="katakana-na-row" title="Katakana Na-row (ナ行)"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-na" canonicalRef="katakana-na" char="ナ" name="ナ (na)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="na" data:row="na" data:hiragana="な"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ni" canonicalRef="katakana-ni" char="ニ" name="ニ (ni)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ni" data:row="na" data:hiragana="に"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-nu" canonicalRef="katakana-nu" char="ヌ" name="ヌ (nu)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="nu" data:row="na" data:hiragana="ぬ"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ne" canonicalRef="katakana-ne" char="ネ" name="ネ (ne)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ne" data:row="na" data:hiragana="ね"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-no" canonicalRef="katakana-no" char="ノ" name="ノ (no)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="no" data:row="na" data:hiragana="の"}
+
+:::
+
+## Pronunciation Guide
+
+### Ta-row
+
+| Character | Romaji | Sound | Notes |
+|-----------|--------|-------|-------|
+| タ | ta | /ta/ | Regular |
+| チ | chi | /tɕi/ | Irregular — "ti" does not exist |
+| ツ | tsu | /tsɯ/ | Irregular — "tu" does not exist |
+| テ | te | /te/ | Regular |
+| ト | to | /to/ | Regular |
+
+### Na-row
+
+| Character | Romaji | Sound | Notes |
+|-----------|--------|-------|-------|
+| ナ | na | /na/ | Regular |
+| ニ | ni | /ni/ | Regular |
+| ヌ | nu | /nɯ/ | Regular |
+| ネ | ne | /ne/ | Regular |
+| ノ | no | /no/ | Regular |
+
+## ツ vs シ — The Critical Distinction
+
+This is the most important thing to practice in all of katakana:
+
+| Character | Sound | Stroke Direction |
+|-----------|-------|-----------------|
+| シ (shi) | /ɕi/ | The two short strokes lean **horizontally** (like eyes looking sideways) |
+| ツ (tsu) | /tsɯ/ | The two short strokes lean **vertically** (like two drips falling down) |
+
+Memory tricks:
+- **シ** looks like a face with horizontal "squinting eyes" — think of **sh**eep squinting in sunlight
+- **ツ** looks like water dripping downward — think of a **ts**unami (which starts with "tsu"!)
+
+The same distinction applies to ソ vs ン (which you will learn later).
+
+## Writing Tips — Ta-row
+
+- **タ**: Three strokes — two short horizontals then a diagonal sweep down and right.
+- **チ**: Three strokes — two horizontals at the top, then a curved vertical stroke.
+- **ツ**: Three strokes — two short vertical-leaning strokes, then a large curved sweep. The two short strokes are more vertical than シ.
+- **テ**: Three strokes — a top horizontal, a crossing vertical, and a curved bottom. Resembles the letter "T."
+- **ト**: Two strokes — a vertical line and a short horizontal rightward hook at the bottom. Very simple.
+
+## Writing Tips — Na-row
+
+- **ナ**: Two strokes — a short horizontal then a vertical with a rightward hook. Resembles the kanji 十 (ten).
+- **ニ**: Two horizontal strokes — extremely simple, like the Chinese numeral 二 (two).
+- **ヌ**: Two strokes — a diagonal and a curved stroke with a small hook.
+- **ネ**: Four strokes — the most complex character in the na-row. Resembles the kanji 示.
+- **ノ**: One diagonal stroke — among the simplest katakana to write.
+
+## Loanword Practice
+
+| Katakana | Romaji | Source | Meaning |
+|----------|--------|--------|---------|
+| テスト | tesuto | test | test / exam |
+| ナイフ | naifu | knife | knife |
+| ノート | nōto | note | notebook |
+| トースト | tōsuto | toast | toast |
+| チケット | chiketto | ticket | ticket |
+
+## Key Points
+
+1. **チ (chi) and ツ (tsu) are irregular**: Just as in hiragana, "ti" and "tu" do not exist.
+2. **ツ vs シ**: The defining challenge of katakana — practice stroke direction.
+3. **ノ is one stroke**: One of the simplest katakana characters.
+4. **ト is simple**: Just a vertical with a small rightward hook.
+5. **ニ is just two lines**: The easiest character in the na-row.
+
+## Practice Recognition
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-03-tsu-vs-shi" type="matching" title="Distinguish ツ from シ" skill="character-recognition" tests="katakana-tsu,katakana-shi" objectiveId="obj-tsu-vs-shi"}
+
+**Question:** Match each character to its correct romaji — the most important distinction in katakana!
+
+- シ
+- ツ
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- シ = shi (strokes lean horizontally)
+- ツ = tsu (strokes lean vertically)
+
+**Explanation:** シ and ツ look very similar but represent completely different sounds. The key difference is the direction of the two short strokes: horizontal for シ (shi), vertical for ツ (tsu). Practice this pair until it becomes automatic.
+
+:::
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-03-recognition" type="matching" title="Match Ta-row and Na-row" skill="character-recognition" tests="katakana-ta,katakana-chi,katakana-tsu,katakana-te,katakana-to,katakana-na,katakana-ni,katakana-nu,katakana-ne,katakana-no" objectiveId="obj-recognize-ta-na-rows"}
+
+**Question:** Match each character to its romaji
+
+- タ
+- チ
+- ツ
+- テ
+- ト
+- ナ
+- ニ
+- ヌ
+- ネ
+- ノ
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- タ = ta
+- チ = chi
+- ツ = tsu
+- テ = te
+- ト = to
+- ナ = na
+- ニ = ni
+- ヌ = nu
+- ネ = ne
+- ノ = no
+
+**Explanation:** The ta-row has two irregular sounds (chi and tsu) while the na-row is completely regular. These irregularities are the same as in hiragana.
+
+:::
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-03-loanwords" type="fill-in-blank" title="Read Ta/Na-row Loanwords" skill="word-recognition" tests="katakana-te,katakana-na,katakana-no,katakana-to" objectiveId="obj-sounds-ta-na-rows"}
+
+**Question:** Read these loanwords
+
+- テスト = ___
+- ノート = ___
+- チケット = ___
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- テスト = "tesuto" (test / exam)
+- ノート = "nōto" (notebook)
+- チケット = "chiketto" (ticket)
+
+**Explanation:** The small ッ (small tsu) in チケット represents a double consonant — the "k" is held for one extra mora. This small ッ is the katakana equivalent of small っ in hiragana.
+
+:::
+
+## What's Next
+
+In Lesson 4, you will learn the **ハ-row** (ha, hi, fu, he, ho) and the **マ-row** (ma, mi, mu, me, mo).

package/src/syllabi/katakana/lessons/lesson-04.mdx

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+---
+type: lesson
+id: japanese-katakana-lesson-04
+title: "Lesson 4 — Ha-row and Ma-row (ハヒフヘホ・マミムメモ)"
+description: "Learn the ハ-row and マ-row katakana characters"
+order: 4
+parentId: japanese-katakana
+difficulty: beginner
+cefrLevel: A1
+categories:
+  - consonants
+  - basic-characters
+metadata:
+  estimatedTime: 25
+  prerequisites: [japanese-katakana-lesson-03]
+  learningObjectives:
+    - id: obj-recognize-ha-ma-rows
+      description: "Recognize the ha-row and ma-row katakana characters"
+      skill: character-recognition
+      references: [katakana-ha, katakana-hi, katakana-fu, katakana-he, katakana-ho, katakana-ma, katakana-mi, katakana-mu, katakana-me, katakana-mo]
+    - id: obj-sounds-ha-ma-rows
+      description: "Map ha-row and ma-row katakana to their sounds"
+      skill: character-sound-mapping
+      references: [katakana-ha, katakana-hi, katakana-fu, katakana-he, katakana-ho, katakana-ma, katakana-mi, katakana-mu, katakana-me, katakana-mo]
+    - id: obj-loanwords-ha-ma
+      description: "Read common loanwords using ha-row and ma-row katakana"
+      skill: word-recognition
+      references: [katakana-ha, katakana-fu, katakana-ho, katakana-ma, katakana-mu]
+---
+
+# Lesson 4 — Ha-row and Ma-row (ハヒフヘホ・マミムメモ)
+
+## Introduction
+
+In this lesson, you will learn the **ハ-row** (ha, hi, fu, he, ho) and the **マ-row** (ma, mi, mu, me, mo). The ha-row contains the unusual フ (fu) sound you learned in hiragana. The ma-row is completely regular and very straightforward.
+
+## Ha-row Characters
+
+:::character-set{id="katakana-ha-row" title="Katakana Ha-row (ハ行)"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ha" canonicalRef="katakana-ha" char="ハ" name="ハ (ha)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ha" data:row="ha" data:hiragana="は"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-hi" canonicalRef="katakana-hi" char="ヒ" name="ヒ (hi)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="hi" data:row="ha" data:hiragana="ひ"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-fu" canonicalRef="katakana-fu" char="フ" name="フ (fu)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="fu" data:row="ha" data:hiragana="ふ"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-he" canonicalRef="katakana-he" char="ヘ" name="ヘ (he)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="he" data:row="ha" data:hiragana="へ"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ho" canonicalRef="katakana-ho" char="ホ" name="ホ (ho)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ho" data:row="ha" data:hiragana="ほ"}
+
+:::
+
+## Ma-row Characters
+
+:::character-set{id="katakana-ma-row" title="Katakana Ma-row (マ行)"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-ma" canonicalRef="katakana-ma" char="マ" name="マ (ma)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="ma" data:row="ma" data:hiragana="ま"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-mi" canonicalRef="katakana-mi" char="ミ" name="ミ (mi)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="mi" data:row="ma" data:hiragana="み"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-mu" canonicalRef="katakana-mu" char="ム" name="ム (mu)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="mu" data:row="ma" data:hiragana="む"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-me" canonicalRef="katakana-me" char="メ" name="メ (me)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="me" data:row="ma" data:hiragana="め"}
+
+::character{id="katakana-mo" canonicalRef="katakana-mo" char="モ" name="モ (mo)" charType="katakana" data:romaji="mo" data:row="ma" data:hiragana="も"}
+
+:::
+
+## Pronunciation Guide
+
+### Ha-row
+
+| Character | Romaji | Sound | Notes |
+|-----------|--------|-------|-------|
+| ハ | ha | /ha/ | Regular |
+| ヒ | hi | /çi/ | Regular |
+| フ | fu | /ɸɯ/ | Bilabial fricative — same as ふ in hiragana |
+| ヘ | he | /he/ | Regular |
+| ホ | ho | /ho/ | Regular |
+
+### Ma-row
+
+| Character | Romaji | Sound | Notes |
+|-----------|--------|-------|-------|
+| マ | ma | /ma/ | Regular |
+| ミ | mi | /mi/ | Regular |
+| ム | mu | /mɯ/ | Regular |
+| メ | me | /me/ | Regular |
+| モ | mo | /mo/ | Regular |
+
+## Writing Tips — Ha-row
+
+- **ハ**: Two diagonal strokes — the left one slanting inward, the right one slanting outward. Like an open "A" without the crossbar.
+- **ヒ**: Two strokes — a horizontal base and a vertical stroke on the left side. Very simple.
+- **フ**: One to two strokes — a top horizontal with a curved downward hook. Simpler than ふ (hiragana).
+- **ヘ**: One stroke — a gentle mountain peak, identical in shape to へ (hiragana). This is one of the very few katakana characters that looks exactly like its hiragana counterpart.
+- **ホ**: Four strokes — two horizontals and a vertical in the middle, plus a final diagonal. Resembles the kanji 木 (tree).
+
+## Writing Tips — Ma-row
+
+- **マ**: Two strokes — a top horizontal then a diagonal stroke going down-right, with a small hook. More angular than ま.
+- **ミ**: Three strokes — three short horizontal strokes of increasing length. Very simple and distinct.
+- **ム**: Two strokes — a small top stroke and a larger curved stroke below. The shape resembles a hand scoop.
+- **メ**: Two strokes crossing — an X-shape with the right stroke extending up. Very distinct shape.
+- **モ**: Three strokes — two horizontals and then a bottom horizontal with a downward hook. Similar to モ visually.
+
+## Special Note: ヘ Identical to へ
+
+**ヘ (he)** and **へ (he)** are the only katakana/hiragana pair that look virtually identical. Both are a simple mountain peak shape. Context tells you which one is being used: katakana is used for foreign words, hiragana for native words and particles.
+
+## Loanword Practice
+
+This lesson's rows appear constantly in katakana loanwords:
+
+| Katakana | Romaji | Source | Meaning |
+|----------|--------|--------|---------|
+| ハンバーガー | hanbāgā | hamburger | hamburger |
+| フランス | Furansu | France | France |
+| マンゴー | mangō | mango | mango |
+| メニュー | menyū | menu | menu |
+| ホテル | hoteru | hotel | hotel |
+| ミルク | miruku | milk | milk |
+
+## Key Points
+
+1. **フ (fu) is irregular**: The bilabial fricative — same sound as ふ in hiragana.
+2. **ヘ = へ in shape**: The only katakana/hiragana pair with identical appearance.
+3. **マ-row is fully regular**: No irregular sounds in this row.
+4. **ミ is three horizontal strokes**: Distinctive and easy to remember.
+5. **ハ resembles an open A**: Two diverging strokes.
+
+## Progress Check
+
+After this lesson, you have learned 35 of the 46 basic katakana:
+
+- Vowels: アイウエオ (5)
+- Ka-row: カキクケコ (5)
+- Sa-row: サシスセソ (5)
+- Ta-row: タチツテト (5)
+- Na-row: ナニヌネノ (5)
+- Ha-row: ハヒフヘホ (5)
+- Ma-row: マミムメモ (5)
+
+Only 11 characters remain: ヤ-row (3), ラ-row (5), ワ-row (2), and ン (1).
+
+## Practice Recognition
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-04-recognition-ha" type="matching" title="Match Ha-row Characters" skill="character-recognition" tests="katakana-ha,katakana-hi,katakana-fu,katakana-he,katakana-ho" objectiveId="obj-recognize-ha-ma-rows"}
+
+**Question:** Match each ha-row katakana to its romaji
+
+- ハ
+- ヒ
+- フ
+- ヘ
+- ホ
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- ハ = ha
+- ヒ = hi
+- フ = fu
+- ヘ = he
+- ホ = ho
+
+**Explanation:** フ (fu) uses the bilabial fricative /ɸ/, the same unusual sound as ふ in hiragana. ヘ has the same shape as hiragana へ.
+
+:::
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-04-recognition-ma" type="matching" title="Match Ma-row Characters" skill="character-recognition" tests="katakana-ma,katakana-mi,katakana-mu,katakana-me,katakana-mo" objectiveId="obj-recognize-ha-ma-rows"}
+
+**Question:** Match each ma-row katakana to its romaji
+
+- マ
+- ミ
+- ム
+- メ
+- モ
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- マ = ma
+- ミ = mi
+- ム = mu
+- メ = me
+- モ = mo
+
+**Explanation:** The ma-row is entirely regular — the nasal /m/ consonant plus each Japanese vowel. No exceptions.
+
+:::
+
+:::exercise{id="ja-katakana-04-loanwords" type="fill-in-blank" title="Read Ha/Ma-row Loanwords" skill="word-recognition" tests="katakana-ha,katakana-fu,katakana-ho,katakana-ma,katakana-mu" objectiveId="obj-loanwords-ha-ma"}
+
+**Question:** Read these loanwords
+
+- ホテル = ___
+- フランス = ___
+- マンゴー = ___
+
+**Answer:**
+
+- ホテル = "hoteru" (hotel)
+- フランス = "Furansu" (France)
+- マンゴー = "mangō" (mango)
+
+**Explanation:** The long vowel mark ー extends the preceding vowel — マンゴー has a long "o" at the end, representing the English "o" in "mango." Country names like フランス are always written in katakana.
+
+:::
+
+## What's Next
+
+In Lesson 5, you will learn the final characters of the katakana chart: the **ヤ-row** (ya, yu, yo), the **ラ-row** (ra, ri, ru, re, ro), the **ワ-row** (wa, wo), and the standalone **ン (n)**.