Alright, so I wanted to mess around with something called “kana wrestler.” Sounds kinda cool, right? Basically, I was curious if I could build a simple tool to help with learning Japanese kana (hiragana and katakana). I’m always looking for ways to make that stuff stick in my brain better.
First, I brainstormed what I actually wanted this thing to do. I figured a simple quiz format would be best. Show a kana character, and have a few options to choose from. Keep it multiple choice, keep it simple.
Getting Started
- I decided to use Python. It’s my go-to for quick projects, and I knew there wouldn’t be anything too fancy needed here.
- Then I created a new folder on my desktop to dump all my project.
- I opened VS Code, It is really easy to use.
The Process
Next, I needed the data. I didn’t want to type out all the kana and their romaji equivalents by hand. So, I found a simple list online that I could copy and paste. I saved that into a plain text file. Easy peasy.
Then, I started coding. First, I wrote a little function to read that text file and turn it into a Python dictionary. You know, so I could easily look up the romaji for a given kana, or vice-versa.
After that, I built the core quiz logic. I used Python’s `random` module to pick a random kana, then grabbed a few other random romaji options to make the multiple-choice answers. I made sure the correct answer was always in there, obviously!
I added a loop to keep asking questions, and implemented a simple scoring system. Just adding one point for each correct answer. Nothing fancy.
Finally, I threw in some basic input handling, so I could type in my answer and see if I got it right. I printed out some feedback, like “Correct!” or “Nope, it was…” and the right answer.
The Result
I ran the script, and boom! It worked! It wasn’t pretty, just plain text in the terminal, but it was functional. I could quiz myself on kana, and it would tell me if I was right or wrong. It even kept score!
It’s definitely a super basic tool, but it was a fun little project. And hey, maybe it’ll actually help me learn my kana a bit better. If nothing else, it was a good way to spend an afternoon tinkering.
