あ
a
あ
a
い
i
い
i
う
u
う
u
え
e
え
e
お
o
お
o
か
ka
か
ka
き
ki
き
ki
く
ku
く
ku
け
ke
け
ke
こ
ko
こ
ko
さ
sa
さ
sa
し
shi
し
shi
す
su
す
su
せ
se
せ
se
そ
so
そ
so
た
ta
た
ta
ち
chi
ち
chi
つ
tsu
つ
tsu
て
te
て
te
と
to
と
to
な
na
な
na
に
ni
に
ni
ぬ
nu
ぬ
nu
ね
ne
ね
ne
の
no
の
no
は
ha
は
ha
ひ
hi
ひ
hi
ふ
fu
ふ
fu
へ
he
へ
he
ほ
ho
ほ
ho
ま
ma
ま
ma
み
mi
み
mi
む
mu
む
mu
め
me
め
me
も
mo
も
mo
や
ya
や
ya
-
-
-
-
ゆ
yu
ゆ
yu
-
-
-
-
よ
yo
よ
yo
ら
ra
ら
ra
り
ri
り
ri
る
ru
る
ru
れ
re
れ
re
ろ
ro
ろ
ro
わ
wa
わ
wa
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
を
wo
を
wo
ん
n
ん
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
か
か
ka
ka
が
が
ga
ga
き
き
ki
ki
ぎ
ぎ
gi
gi
く
く
ku
ku
ぐ
ぐ
gu
gu
け
け
ke
ke
げ
げ
ge
ge
こ
こ
ko
ko
ご
ご
go
go
S → Z
S → Z
さ
さ
sa
sa
ざ
ざ
za
za
し
し
shi
shi
じ
じ
ji
ji
す
す
su
su
ず
ず
zu
zu
せ
せ
se
se
ぜ
ぜ
ze
ze
そ
そ
so
so
ぞ
ぞ
zo
zo
T → D
T → D
た
た
ta
ta
だ
だ
da
da
ち
ち
chi
chi
ぢ
ぢ
di
di
つ
つ
tsu
tsu
づ
づ
du
du
て
て
te
te
で
で
de
de
と
と
to
to
ど
ど
do
do
H → B
H → B
は
は
ha
ha
ば
ば
ba
ba
ひ
ひ
hi
hi
び
び
bi
bi
ふ
ふ
fu
fu
ぶ
ぶ
bu
bu
へ
へ
he
he
べ
べ
be
be
ほ
ほ
ho
ho
ぼ
ぼ
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
は
は
ha
ha
ぱ
ぱ
pa
pa
ひ
ひ
hi
hi
ぴ
ぴ
pi
pi
ふ
ふ
fu
fu
ぷ
ぷ
pu
pu
へ
へ
he
he
ぺ
ぺ
pe
pe
ほ
ほ
ho
ho
ぽ
ぽ
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/