Show HN: Context-aware Japanese furigana using Sudachi and ModernBERT
Recorded: May 29, 2026, 3:01 p.m.
| Original | Summarized |
Free Furigana Converter: Kanji to Hiragana | EZFurigana Loading... EZFurigana English English 日本語 JavaScript is required to upload and add furigana here. Please enable it to convert text, or visit the PDF editor once it is on. ✨ New Extensions Chrome Edge Firefox Furigana Converter for Japanese Add furigana to Japanese text, PDFs, images, subtitles, and ebooks. Automatically converts kanji to hiragana to help you read and learn Japanese. Free to use with no signup required. Your uploads are automatically deleted within 24 hours. Furigana Converter Saved Words 📝 Paste Text 📝 Paste Text ✓ 📄 Text File ✓ 🎬 Subtitles ✓ 📚 E-Book ✓ 📄 PDF Document ✓ 📸 Camera Photo ✓ 🌐 Website URL ✓ Edit / New None Choose a .txt file Choose a .srt subtitle file Choose a .epub e-book OCR Scanner Max 4 MB Tap to take photo or choose an image Drag to crop Take Photo Choose Photo Clear Subject to Google Cloud Vision privacy policy Enter Japanese Text (max 2000 chars) 0 / 2000 Tip: Website URL Settings Configuration Save Default Furigana Type Hiragana Katakana Romaji JLPT Level Only on first occurrence Highlight Saved Words Generate Furigana All saved words are stored locally in your browser. Sort by: Date Added 0 / 50 words Export Anki Export Anki (with audio) Clear All No saved words yet Click on words in the furigana converter to see definitions, then save them for later review. Frequently Asked Questions 🤔 Furigana are small phonetic characters (hiragana or katakana) placed above or beside kanji to show pronunciation. Also called ruby text, furigana help learners read Japanese more easily and build reading confidence. ✨ Follow these simple steps: 1. Choose your input type (text, PDF, image, EPUB, subtitles, or website URL) 📂 We support plain text, PDFs, images (JPG/PNG), EPUB ebooks, SRT subtitles, and Japanese webpages. You can download your results in multiple formats: HTML, TXT, PDF, EPUB, SRT, or Anki-ready flashcards. 🎁 Yes, completely free with no account required. All features including file import, dictionary lookup, Anki export, and saved vocabulary are included at no cost. 🎌 Yes. You can display furigana in hiragana, katakana, or romaji, depending on your learning level and preference. Hiragana above kanji is the most common choice for beginners. 🎓 JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) filtering shows furigana only for kanji above a chosen difficulty level (N5-N1). For example, if you set it to N3, easier N5/N4 words appear without furigana, while N3 and harder words display readings. This helps you practice reading common kanji while keeping the text clean and readable. 🔒 We don't store your files or track your activity. All uploads are automatically deleted within 24 hours for your privacy and security. See our privacy policy for full details. Report Wrong Reading Word Current Reading (reported as wrong) Context Sentence Correct Reading (optional) We consent to sharing this context sentence to help improve the reading algorithm for everyone. Submit Report EZFurigana Making Japanese readable for everyone Tools How To Use Resources Blog Legal Privacy © 2026 EZFurigana |
The EZFurigana tool functions as a comprehensive online converter designed to render Japanese text by automatically converting kanji into phonetic readings, primarily hiragana, thereby facilitating the learning process and enhancing reading comprehension. Furigana, also known as ruby text, is characterized as small phonetic characters placed above or beside kanji to indicate pronunciation, which serves as a valuable aid for learners in building reading confidence and mastering the visual recognition of Japanese characters. The converter supports diverse input modalities, allowing users to process text from various sources. Users can input text directly, upload plain text files, subtitle files in the srt format, e-books in the epub format, PDF documents through an integrated editor utilizing optical character recognition, images via scanning, and text extracted from website URLs. This versatility enables the conversion of diverse materials into a format where kanji are fully rendered in hiragana, katakana, or romaji, depending on the user's preference. The system offers advanced features to tailor the conversion experience. Users can select the desired furigana style from hiragana, katakana, or romaji. Furthermore, the tool incorporates a Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) level filtering system, which allows users to selectively display furigana only for kanji above a specified difficulty level, such as N5 through N1. This filtering mechanism aids in focused study by suppressing readings for easier kanji, allowing learners to concentrate on more challenging vocabulary while maintaining textual clarity. Users also have the option to save frequently encountered words, which are stored locally in the browser, alongside an export function to generate results in multiple formats, including HTML, TXT, PDF, EPUB, SRT, and Anki-ready flashcards. To manage the output and ensure data privacy, the tool requires no account registration. All uploaded files are automatically deleted within twenty-four hours, ensuring user privacy and security. Additionally, the system includes a mechanism for reporting incorrect readings, enabling community input to continuously improve the underlying reading algorithm. The overall design emphasizes accessibility and efficiency, positioning the EZFurigana converter as a practical resource for making Japanese text more readable and educational for a broad audience. |