why there’s 3 ways to write the same word in Japanese?

Question

I’m vaguely aware there’s something like 3 alphabets kanji, hiragana, and katakana. I also read that katakana is used for foreign words, but for some words there is a way to use all 3 alphabets. I guess im more so wondering what would be the appropriate use for each, so F.E, mint. I found a kanji and katakana but also maybe hiragana way. 造幣局 ミント みんと

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Answer 1

Thinking of it like an alphabet is what will make you confused. It’s a syllabary. So while there are 3 parts of the writing system, they exist to differentiate words. Hiragana words generally have a kanji, but sometimes it’s easier to understand when written out in hiragana because some kanji are harder to read. Then katakana is used for foreign adopted words.