Learn Hiragana: The First Step to Reading Japanese!
1. What is Hiragana?
Hiragana is the foundation of the Japanese writing system. It consists of **46 basic characters** and is used for native Japanese words, grammar, and furigana (small kana above kanji to indicate pronunciation).
✅ **Why learn Hiragana?**
- ✔️ Essential for reading and writing Japanese
- ✔️ Used in everyday signs, books, and menus
- ✔️ Helps with pronunciation and learning Kanji
2. Hiragana Chart (50 Sounds)
| A あ | I い | U う | E え | O お | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ行 | あ (a) | い (i) | う (u) | え (e) | お (o) |
| か行 | か (ka) | き (ki) | く (ku) | け (ke) | こ (ko) |
| さ行 | さ (sa) | し (shi) | す (su) | せ (se) | そ (so) |
| た行 | た (ta) | ち (chi) | つ (tsu) | て (te) | と (to) |
| な行 | な (na) | に (ni) | ぬ (nu) | ね (ne) | の (no) |
| は行 | は (ha) | ひ (hi) | ふ (fu) | へ (he) | ほ (ho) |
| ま行 | ま (ma) | み (mi) | む (mu) | め (me) | も (mo) |
| や行 | や (ya) | – | ゆ (yu) | – | よ (yo) |
| ら行 | ら (ra) | り (ri) | る (ru) | れ (re) | ろ (ro) |
| わ行 | わ (wa) | – | を (wo) | – | ん (n) |
濁音（Dakuten）と半濁音（Handakuten）
濁音（Dakuten / Voiced Sounds）
| A あ | I い | U う | E え | O お | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| が行 | が (ga) | ぎ (gi) | ぐ (gu) | げ (ge) | ご (go) |
| ざ行 | ざ (za) | じ (ji) | ず (zu) | ぜ (ze) | ぞ (zo) |
| だ行 | だ (da) | ぢ (ji) | づ (zu) | で (de) | ど (do) |
| ば行 | ば (ba) | び (bi) | ぶ (bu) | べ (be) | ぼ (bo) |
半濁音（Handakuten / Semi-Voiced Sounds）
| A あ | I い | U う | E え | O お | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ぱ行 | ぱ (pa) | ぴ (pi) | ぷ (pu) | ぺ (pe) | ぽ (po) |
4. Unique Japanese Pronunciations
- 🔹 **Long vowels:** おお (ō) = big
- 🔹 **Small っ (double consonants):** きって (kitte) = stamp
- 🔹 **ん (n) nasal sound:** こんにちは (konnichiwa) = hello
5. Best Ways to Learn Hiragana
- ✅ Write it daily – Practice writing 5 characters per day
- ✅ Read it aloud – Say each character while looking at a chart
- ✅ Use apps & flashcards – Try games to make learning fun!
6. Summary & Next Lesson
Today, we learned:
- ✅ **The 50 Hiragana characters**
- ✅ **Dakuten & Handakuten sounds**
- ✅ **Basic Japanese pronunciation rules**
Now you can read Hiragana! But… what do those words mean? 🤔
Next time, we’ll learn simple words and phrases using Hiragana! Stay tuned! 🚀
If you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to bookmark this blog and share it on social media! See you in the next lesson! 🌸
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We’d Love to Hear From You!
Which Hiragana was easiest for you? Try writing your name in Hiragana and share it in the comments! 😊