Hiragana is the most useful alphabet for Japanese language learners and should be one of the first things you learn. Think of hiragana as the base for the rest of your language learning. Learn this alphabet, and you’ll know how to read and write in Japanese. You’ll also learn all the corresponding sounds in Japanese to boost your pronunciation. Hiragana will give you the perfect foundation for learning the other two alphabets and mastering the Japanese language.
Learn all about hiragana, how it differs from katakana and kanji, and a simple (but effective) way to master it.
When you should use hiragana
Hiragana‘s origins trace back over a thousand years, evolving from Chinese characters into a uniquely Japanese script. Today, hiragana is indispensable in Japanese writing. Let’s look at when you should use hiragana in comparison to the other two alphabets.
Difference between hiragana and katakana in Japanese language || Goal Japan 🇯🇵 – YouTube
Hiragana | Katakana | Kanji | |
Main use | Native Japanese words, grammatical and function words, particles | Foreign words, technical terms, onomatopoeia, emphasis | Nouns, stems of adjectives and verbs, meanings |
Characteristics | Curved, flowing lines | Sharp, angular lines | Complex characters, each with a unique meaning and multiple readings |
Learning stage | The first script learned in Japanese language education | Learned after hiragana | Learned continuously from childhood onward because of how complicated it is |
Whether you Learn Japanese online, in person, or on your own, understanding hiragana should be a priority. It’s a crucial part of written communication, but it’s also more than that; each hiragana character represents a sound, so by learning them, you’ll learn all the possible sounds of Japanese. You get to learn how to read and write, with the bonus of improving your pronunciation skills.
Hiragana chart
Here’s the basic Japanese hiragana chart with the 46 characters. Each character is a syllable made up of a vowel or a combination of a vowel and a consonant. The top row includes the five vowel sounds. Go through the chart from left to right, top to bottom.And don’t worry about the empty cells. This is how the rows with only three characters are stylized.
あ a | い i | う u | え e | お o |
か ka | き ki | く ku | け ke | こ ko |
さ sa | し shi | す su | せ se | そ so |
た ta | ち chi | つ tsu | て te | と to |
な na | に ni | ぬ nu | ね ne | の no |
は ha | ひ hi | ふ fu | へ he | ほ ho |
ま ma | み mi | む mu | め me | も mo |
や ya | ゆ yu | よ yo | ||
ら ra | り ri | る ru | れ re | ろ ro |
わ wa | を o | ん n |
If mastering hiragana is difficult for you, why not get in touch with one of Preply’s online Japanese tutors who work with beginners.
Dakuten and handakuten chart
Dakuten and handakuten are little marks you add to the hiragana characters to change their sounds. Dakuten (゛) add a voiced sound, and handakuten (゜) create a “p” sound. For example, adding dakuten to “か” (ka) changes it to “が” (ga). This has a significant effect on meanings and pronunciation, so you need to know these.
が ga | ぎ gi | ぐ gu | げ ge | ご go |
ざ za | じ ji | ず zu | ぜ ze | ぞ zo |
だ da | ぢ ji | づ zu | で de | ど do |
ば ba | び bi | ぶ bu | べ be | ぼ bo |
ぱ pa | ぴ pi | ぷ pu | ぺ pe | ぽ po |
Common hiragana combinations
Some hiragana characters combine to make different sounds. When written out, the first character is its usual size, but the second is a little smaller. Combinations like “きゃ” (kya) and “しょ” (sho) are not just two separate sounds but a single, fluid syllable. This blending is essential for words like “きょう” (today) and “しょうがっこう” (elementary school).
きゃ kya | きゅ kyu | きょ kyo |
しゃ sha | しゅ shu | しょ sho |
ちゃ cha | ちゅ chu | ちょ cho |
にゃ nya | にゅ nyu | にょ nyo |
ひゃ hya | ひゅ hyu | ひょ hyo |
みゃ mya | みゅ myu | みょ myo |
りゃ rya | りゅ ryu | りょ ryo |
ぎゃ gya | ぎゅ gyu | ぎょ gyo |
じゃ ja | じゅ ju | じょ jo |
びゃ bya | びゅ byu | びょ byo |
ぴゃ pya | ぴゅ pyu | ぴょ pyo |
How to learn hiragana
There are many ways to learn hiragana, but our advice is to stick to the simple yet effective way Japanese children learn. Follow these steps, and you’ll master hiragana in no time.
1. Start at the top of the chart
Start with the five vowels: “あ,” “い,”“う,” “え,” and “お.” Each of the characters in the chart uses one of the vowel sounds. So by learning these first, it’ll be easier to master the rest.
2. Practice writing
Japanese students learn to write each hiragana character by following a specific stroke order. And they do it over and over again. While it doesn’t sound too exciting, it helps you remember how to read and write each character. You can use practice sheets for this (such as this fantastic hiragana worksheet from NHK) to help with the stroke order. When writing the characters out, pronounce the sounds out loud, too. This will help with your reading and pronunciation skills.
3. Learn in groups
Each row in the chart represents a different group. The first row contains the vowels. Other rows have consonant and vowel sounds combined (except for the last row). The characters are grouped by their first sound. For example, after vowels, you can learn the k-sounds, such as “ka,” “ki,” “ku,” “ke,” and “ko.” After you’ve learned the k-sounds, you can then learn the s-sounds, and so on. This step-by-step approach makes it easier to remember the characters.
4. Progress to dakuten, handakuten, and combinations
Once you are comfortable with the basic characters, you can start learning more complex ones. This includes characters with dakuten and handakuten marks that change the sounds. There are also combination characters to learn, but leave these until you’ve mastered the basics.
5. Read and write regularly
What’s the point in learning all these characters if you don’t use them? Start using hiragana by reading simple texts and writing simple sentences. If you look at any Japanese media, you’ll see plenty of hiragana to practice reading.
Start reading Japanese with hiragana
When you’re ready to learn a Japanese alphabet, hiragana is the perfect place to start. It’s the first step to mastering Japanese and is the first thing we recommend you practice. That’s because hiragana is the most basic alphabet, and it’s linked to pronunciation. You kill two birds with one stone by mastering hiragana. When you’re comfortable with it, move on to katakana and, finally, kanji.
Learning hiragana looks challenging, but it’s actually much easier than it seems. By following the advice in this guide, you’ll master hiragana quickly. And if you need extra help, Preply Japanese tutors are always ready to help.
