Memorizing

Hiragana

Made Easy.

Content inspired and credited to :

Memorizing

Hiragana

Made Easy.

Content inspired and credited to :

Tofugu write about Japanese topics to help people who want to visit Japan, live in Japan, and/or Learn Japanese. All the content in this site inspired and credited to Tofugu. Go check them out!

Design & Developed by Randy Varianda

Tofugu write about Japanese topics to help people who want to visit Japan, live in Japan, and/or Learn Japanese. All the content in this site inspired and credited to Tofugu. Go check them out!

Design & Developed by Randy Varianda

a

a

i

i

u

u

e

e

o

o

ka

ka

ki

ki

ku

ku

ke

ke

ko

ko

sa

sa

shi

shi

su

su

se

se

so

so

ta

ta

chi

chi

tsu

tsu

te

te

to

to

na

na

ni

ni

nu

nu

ne

ne

no

no

ha

ha

hi

hi

fu

fu

he

he

ho

ho

ma

ma

mi

mi

mu

mu

me

me

mo

mo

ya

ya

-

-

-

-

yu

yu

-

-

-

-

yo

yo

ra

ra

ri

ri

ru

ru

re

re

ro

ro

wa

wa

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

wo

wo

n

n

Dakuten

Dakuten

Dakuten is a symbol that looks like this → ".

This dakuten symbol marks hiragana from certain consonant columns and changes their pronunciation.

For example, with dakuten added, a K-sound becomes a G-sound. That means か (KA) becomes が (GA), き (KI) becomes ぎ (GI), and so on — like the chart below shows.

Dakuten is a symbol that looks like this → ".

This dakuten symbol marks hiragana from certain consonant columns and changes their pronunciation.

For example, with dakuten added, a K-sound becomes a G-sound. That means か (KA) becomes が (GA), き (KI) becomes ぎ (GI), and so on — like the chart below shows.

K → G

K → G

ka

ka

ga

ga

ki

ki

gi

gi

ku

ku

gu

gu

ke

ke

ge

ge

ko

ko

go

go

S → Z

S → Z

sa

sa

za

za

shi

shi

ji

ji

su

su

zu

zu

se

se

ze

ze

so

so

zo

zo

T → D

T → D

ta

ta

da

da

chi

chi

di

di

tsu

tsu

du

du

te

te

de

de

to

to

do

do

H → B

H → B

ha

ha

ba

ba

hi

hi

bi

bi

fu

fu

bu

bu

he

he

be

be

ho

ho

bo

bo

Han-Dakuten

Han-Dakuten

indicated by a circular symbol that looks like this → °. It sounds complicated, but should be easy to remember — the han-dakuten can only mark H-sounds and always turns them into P-sounds!

は (HA) - ひ (HI) - ふ (FU) - へ (HE) - ほ (HO) become

ぱ (PA) - ぴ (PI) - ぷ (PU) - ぺ (PE) - ぽ (PO).

indicated by a circular symbol that looks like this → °. It sounds complicated, but should be easy to remember — the han-dakuten can only mark H-sounds and always turns them into P-sounds!

は (HA) - ひ (HI) - ふ (FU) - へ (HE) - ほ (HO) become

ぱ (PA) - ぴ (PI) - ぷ (PU) - ぺ (PE) - ぽ (PO).

H → P

H → P

ha

ha

pa

pa

hi

hi

pi

pi

fu

fu

pu

pu

he

he

pe

pe

ho

ho

po

po

Combination Hiragana

Combination Hiragana

You can combine different types of kana to make some new sounds. Here are the two types of kana you'll be putting together:

You can combine different types of kana to make some new sounds. Here are the two types of kana you'll be putting together:

Kana from the い (I) row.

Kana from the い (I) row.

In other words, kana that end with an I-sound when written in romaji:

き (KI) - し (SHI) - ち (CHI) - に (NI) - ひ (HI) - み (MI) - り (RI), ぎ (GI) - じ (JI) - ぢ (JI) - び (BI) - ぴ (PI). Note the vowel い itself won't apply here!

In other words, kana that end with an I-sound when written in romaji:

き (KI) - し (SHI) - ち (CHI) - に (NI) - ひ (HI) - み (MI) - り (RI), ぎ (GI) - じ (JI) - ぢ (JI) - び (BI) - ぴ (PI). Note the vowel い itself won't apply here!

The small ゃ - ゅ - ょ.

The small ゃ - ゅ - ょ.

The small versions of や (YA) - ゆ (YU) - よ (YO).

Look closely to see how they're almost half the size of the regular kana!

や ゃ

ゆ ゅ

よ ょ

The small versions of や (YA) - ゆ (YU) - よ (YO).

Look closely to see how they're almost half the size of the regular kana!

や ゃ

ゆ ゅ

よ ょ

For example, き + ょ = きょ (KYO). し + ゃ = しゃ (SHA). び + ゅ = びゅ (BYU).

Notice that the I at the end of the first kana is dropped when you spell the combination in romaji. You'll also drop the I-sound when you pronounce these combination kana.

For example, き + ょ = きょ (KYO). し + ゃ = しゃ (SHA). び + ゅ = びゅ (BYU).

Notice that the I at the end of the first kana is dropped when you spell the combination in romaji. You'll also drop the I-sound when you pronounce these combination kana.

Small っ (Quick Pause)

Small っ (Quick Pause)

We also have a small version of つ (TSU), which looks like this → っ. This kana doesn't

have a sound. Instead, it adds a quick little pause before a consonant sound in a word.

We also have a small version of つ (TSU), which looks like this → っ. This kana doesn't

have a sound. Instead, it adds a quick little pause before a consonant sound in a word.

To express this in romaji, the consonant after a small っ is written twice.

Let's take a look at an example:

Add a small っ between the two kana い (I) and か (KA) to make the word いっか. In this case, you're doubling the K-sound, because that's the consonant following the small っ. So いっか is written IKKA — which is how you pronounce いっか as well as how you type it.

To express this in romaji, the consonant after a small っ is written twice.

Let's take a look at an example:

Add a small っ between the two kana い (I) and か (KA) to make the word いっか. In this case, you're doubling the K-sound, because that's the consonant following the small っ. So いっか is written IKKA — which is how you pronounce いっか as well as how you type it.

りったい RITTAI

/rittai/

かっこ KAKKO

/kakko/

いった ITTA

/itta/

りったい RITTAI

/rittai/

かっこ KAKKO

/kakko/

いった ITTA

/itta/