I can write all 46 characters in hiragana without looking but mostly only in order and I’m starting with katakana? should i be writing the whole hiragana and then the whole katakana directly after each other over and over?
Write them in which ever sequence you want but just keep writing until you’ve memorized both
> but mostly only in order
You should be able to write any single kana directly at will. Randomise the order and start testing your ability to write them from memory until you can consistently get them right.
Alternatively, if you can read them already, just move on to grammar/vocab/kanji, and the characters will eventually stick through sheer exposure (as well as through looking them up each time you want to write something but are drawing a blank) (source: I only learned to *recognise* the kana before moving onto actual Japanese study, but I can easily *recall* them now too, without ever specifically practicing recall itself.)
Start with randomly shuffled flashcards, then move on to reading words and sentences. Even when you know all your kana being able to actually read them as words at speed is a big jump in its own right.
also write out words that use the characters, start contextualizing them, it’s never too early to start. use example sentences from books if it’s too early in your studies for you to make up your own. a vocab study list will probably contain at least one of every character other than を which you’ll need to write a full sentence to incorporate properly.
Wait you’re telling me there’s an order? Like the alphabet?
what i did what just went ahead and started a vocab anki deck and whenever i couldnt read the kana I counted it wrong and copy pasted the problem kana and looked up its pronunciation. as long as you kinda got em down you should go ahead and move on, almost everything you do from now on will reinforce them
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Write them in which ever sequence you want but just keep writing until you’ve memorized both
> but mostly only in order
You should be able to write any single kana directly at will. Randomise the order and start testing your ability to write them from memory until you can consistently get them right.
Alternatively, if you can read them already, just move on to grammar/vocab/kanji, and the characters will eventually stick through sheer exposure (as well as through looking them up each time you want to write something but are drawing a blank) (source: I only learned to *recognise* the kana before moving onto actual Japanese study, but I can easily *recall* them now too, without ever specifically practicing recall itself.)
Start with randomly shuffled flashcards, then move on to reading words and sentences. Even when you know all your kana being able to actually read them as words at speed is a big jump in its own right.
also write out words that use the characters, start contextualizing them, it’s never too early to start. use example sentences from books if it’s too early in your studies for you to make up your own. a vocab study list will probably contain at least one of every character other than を which you’ll need to write a full sentence to incorporate properly.
Wait you’re telling me there’s an order? Like the alphabet?
Learn them with mnemonics, and you won’t have to write them over and over again to remember them, plus you will remember them no matter what the order: [katakana](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-katakana/); [hiragana](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-hiragana/).
what i did what just went ahead and started a vocab anki deck and whenever i couldnt read the kana I counted it wrong and copy pasted the problem kana and looked up its pronunciation.
as long as you kinda got em down you should go ahead and move on, almost everything you do from now on will reinforce them