Japanese Alphabet: Complete Hiragana Chart and Guide for Beginners

Japanese Alphabet and Hiragana Chart are essential to the start of your Japanese language journey! One of the very first things you need to learn is Hiragana, as it serves as the foundation of a house. Just like a strong foundation is needed to build a house, you can’t learn Japanese without mastering Hiragana. It’s the key to being able to read, write, and even speak Japanese.

Now, Hiragana is different from the English alphabet. When you think of the alphabet in English, we have 26 letters, and we combine those letters to make words. For example, “cat” is spelled with the letters “C,” “A,” and “T.” But Hiragana is not like that. Instead of individual letters, Hiragana uses characters, and each character stands for a whole sound or syllable. This means that instead of using separate letters to form a word, like “C” and “A” in “cat,” in Hiragana you would use just one character for each sound.

For example, the word for “cat” in Japanese is ねこ (neko). You don’t have to spell it out with separate letters like we do in English. The character ね stands for “ne” and the character こ stands for “ko.” See how easy it is? Once you learn the Hiragana characters, you can start reading and writing simple words in Japanese!

Hiragana is the first writing system Japanese children learn, and it’s the first one you should learn too. Even though Japanese has other writing systems, like Katakana and Kanji, you always start with Hiragana because it’s the easiest and most important for beginners.

In this post, we will guide you through everything you need to know about Hiragana. You’ll learn what Hiragana is, how it works, and we’ll give you a Hiragana chart that you can download and use to practice on your own. So, let’s get started and have some fun learning!

What is Hiragana?

So, what exactly is Hiragana? Hiragana is one of the three main writing systems used in Japanese. The other two writing systems are Katakana and Kanji, but don’t worry about them just yet. We will focus on Hiragana because it is the simplest and the best place to start. Hiragana is used for writing native Japanese words and grammatical particles (which are small words that help connect sentences, like “to,” “in,” and “on” in English). Hiragana is also used to change how verbs work, which is called conjugating verbs.

Hiragana is made up of 46 basic characters, and each character represents a syllable. A syllable is just a sound. It can be as simple as “ka” or “shi.” This is different from the English alphabet, where each letter usually represents just one sound, like the “k” sound or the “a” sound in “cat.”

In Hiragana, each character is a whole sound. For example, the character か (ka) stands for the sound “ka.” The character し (shi) stands for the sound “shi.” Once you learn all 46 characters, you can read and write many simple Japanese words.

Let’s compare Hiragana to the other two writing systems in Japanese.

First, there’s Katakana, which is similar to Hiragana because it also uses characters that stand for syllables. But, here’s the difference: Katakana is mostly used for foreign words—words that come from other languages. For example, the word “coffee” in Japanese is written in Katakana as コーヒー (koohii) because it’s a word that came from English. So, if you want to write words like “ice cream” or “pizza,” you would use Katakana.

The third writing system is called Kanji. Kanji is the most complicated writing system in Japanese because it uses characters that come from Chinese. Kanji characters can represent whole words or ideas, and they don’t work like an alphabet or syllabary. For example, the word for “mountain” in Kanji looks like this: 山 (yama). Even though Kanji can seem difficult, don’t worry about it for now. You will learn Kanji later after mastering Hiragana.

But why do we have to learn all three writing systems? Well, in Japanese, they are used together! Most sentences in Japanese use a mix of Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. That’s why it’s so important to start with Hiragana—it’s the easiest and it’s used the most for writing native Japanese words.

Hiragana is special because it’s also used for something called Furigana. Furigana are small Hiragana characters written above or next to Kanji characters. These small Hiragana characters help people read the Kanji by showing how the Kanji is pronounced. This is really helpful for people who are still learning Kanji because it makes it possible to read sentences even if you don’t know the Kanji yet!

So, to sum it up, Hiragana is one of the most important things you need to learn when starting Japanese. It is used for native Japanese words, it helps show how Kanji words are pronounced, and it’s the writing system you will see the most in beginner-level books and texts. By learning Hiragana, you’ll be able to start reading and writing Japanese quickly and confidently.

Let’s keep going and explore the structure of Hiragana so you can start learning the characters and sounds!

The Structure of Hiragana

Now that you know what Hiragana is, let’s talk about how it works. Hiragana is made up of 46 basic characters, and each character represents a specific syllable. A syllable is a sound made up of a consonant and a vowel or just a vowel by itself. For example, あ is a vowel sound, and it sounds like “ah” (like in the word “apple”). On the other hand, か is a consonant combined with a vowel, and it sounds like “ka” (like in the word “cat”).

In Japanese, there are five vowel sounds:

• あ (a) sounds like “ah” (as in apple).
• い (i) sounds like “ee” (as in eat).
• う (u) sounds like “oo” (as in soon).
• え (e) sounds like “eh” (as in elk).
• お (o) sounds like “oh” (as in open).

These five vowel sounds are super important because they are the building blocks of every other sound in Hiragana. You can think of them like the vowels in English, but in Japanese, the vowel sounds always stay the same. They never change, so once you learn them, you will always know how they sound!

How Hiragana Characters Are Formed

Each Hiragana character is a combination of a consonant and one of the five vowels. For example, when you take the consonant k and combine it with the vowels a, i, u, e, and o, you get the following Hiragana characters:

• か (ka)
• き (ki)
• く (ku)
• け (ke)
• こ (ko)

This pattern is the same for many other consonants. Let’s look at some more examples:

• 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)

As you can see, the vowel sound stays the same, but the consonant changes. This makes learning Hiragana easier because once you know the vowel sounds, you just have to learn how the different consonants work with those vowels.

Simple Words in Hiragana

Let’s put together some of the Hiragana characters you’ve learned to form simple Japanese words.

Here are some common words you can read and practice:

1. ねこ (neko) – This means “cat.” You can break it down into ね (ne) and こ (ko).
2. いぬ (inu) – This means “dog.” It’s made up of い (i) and ぬ (nu).
3. ほん (hon) – This means “book.” It’s made up of ほ (ho) and ん (n).

When you start reading and writing in Hiragana, you’ll see how easy it becomes to make simple words. Each character represents a sound, and when you put them together, they form words!

Importance of Memorizing Hiragana

Memorizing Hiragana is like learning how to read letters in English. Once you know all the Hiragana characters and the sounds they make, you will be able to read many basic Japanese words and sentences. It’s like unlocking a new skill!

Here’s why memorizing Hiragana is super important:

1. Reading and Writing: Most Japanese texts you see, like books for beginners, signs, and menus, will have a lot of Hiragana. Even if there are Kanji (the more complicated characters), many words in Japanese use Hiragana for things like grammar and verb endings.
2. Building a Strong Foundation: Hiragana is the foundation of the Japanese writing system. Once you know it well, you’ll be able to move on to learning Katakana and Kanji, which are the other writing systems in Japanese.
3. Understanding How Words Work: Hiragana characters are used to conjugate verbs and connect ideas in sentences. This means they help show who is doing the action, when the action happens, and other details. For example, the sentence わたしはねこです (watashi wa neko desu) means “I am a cat.” The words は (wa) and です (desu) are written in Hiragana to show how the sentence works.

You don’t have to learn all the Hiragana characters at once. It’s best to learn a few characters at a time, practice them, and then move on to more. Start with the vowels, then add the consonants, and keep practicing every day!

Practice Makes Perfect

Just like learning the alphabet in English, learning Hiragana takes time and practice. You can start by practicing writing the characters you’ve learned, saying their sounds out loud, and combining them to make words.

For example, write out the word ねこ (neko) and say it aloud: “ne-ko.” Then try writing the word いぬ (inu) and say it aloud: “i-nu.”

The more you practice, the better you will get at recognizing the characters and understanding the sounds they make. Soon, you’ll be able to read and write basic Japanese words and sentences!

How to Pronounce Hiragana Vowels

Now that you know the structure of Hiragana, let’s focus on how to pronounce the five vowels. These vowels are the foundation of every Hiragana character, and getting the pronunciation right is super important.

Here are the five vowel sounds in Hiragana and examples of how they sound in English:

1. あ (a): This sounds like “ah” as in “apple.” It’s an open sound where your mouth is wide. You can say it like “aah” as if you’re opening your mouth at the dentist.
2. い (i): This sounds like “ee” as in “see.” It’s a short sound and makes the “e” sound in words like “eat.”
3. う (u): This sounds like “oo” as in “soon.” It’s similar to the “oo” in “moon.”
4. え (e): This sounds like “eh” as in “elk.” It’s like the “e” sound in “bed.”
5. お (o): This sounds like “oh” as in “open.” It’s a short “o” sound, like in the word “hot.”

When you say these vowels, make sure to practice them aloud. The sounds stay the same no matter what, so once you’ve learned them, you’ll always know how to pronounce Hiragana characters!

Learning Hiragana: What to Expect

By now, you know that Hiragana characters are a mix of vowels and consonants. You’ve learned that each character represents a sound or syllable, and you’ve even tried reading some simple words. The next thing we’ll do is look at the full Hiragana chart and learn all the characters. We’ll also practice combining them to form more words. You’ll also be able to download a chart to keep practicing at home!

Let’s continue your Hiragana adventure by learning the rest of the characters and diving deeper into how Hiragana works!

The Full Hiragana Chart

Now that you have learned about how Hiragana works and how its characters represent syllables, it’s time to dive into the full Hiragana chart. The chart is very important because it shows all 46 basic Hiragana characters along with their corresponding sounds. Learning this chart will help you read and write many Japanese words.

The Hiragana chart is organized by rows and columns. Each row starts with a consonant, and each column has a vowel (a, i, u, e, o). By combining the consonant from the row with the vowel from the column, you get a unique sound. Let’s take a closer look at the chart and see how it works.

Here is a simple version of the Hiragana chart to help you visualize how the characters are organized.

Hiragana Chart

	あ (a)	い (i)	う (u)	え (e)	お (o)
K	か (ka)	き (ki)	く (ku)	け (ke)	こ (ko)
S	さ (sa)	し (shi)	す (su)	せ (se)	そ (so)
T	た (ta)	ち (chi)	つ (tsu)	て (te)	と (to)
N	な (na)	に (ni)	ぬ (nu)	ね (ne)	の (no)
H	は (ha)	ひ (hi)	ふ (fu)	へ (he)	ほ (ho)
M	ま (ma)	み (mi)	む (mu)	め (me)	も (mo)
Y	や (ya)		ゆ (yu)		よ (yo)
R	ら (ra)	り (ri)	る (ru)	れ (re)	ろ (ro)
W	わ (wa)				を (wo)
N	ん (n)

As you can see from the chart, the sounds are created by pairing each consonant with one of the five vowels: あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), and お (o).

Let’s walk through how to read this chart. For example:

• The character か (ka) is in the K row and the あ (a) column. This means its sound is “ka.”
• The character し (shi) is in the S row and the い (i) column. This means its sound is “shi.”
• The character つ (tsu) is in the T row and the う (u) column. This means its sound is “tsu.”

Once you learn how to read the chart, you’ll be able to quickly figure out how each character sounds. The pattern makes it easy to remember, and you can practice saying each sound out loud to get used to how it feels.

Practice with the Hiragana Chart

A great way to practice learning Hiragana is to use this chart. Look at one row at a time and practice saying the characters out loud. For example, start with the K row:

• か (ka)
• き (ki)
• く (ku)
• け (ke)
• こ (ko)

Say each one slowly and clearly. Then, move on to the next row, like the S row:

• さ (sa)
• し (shi)
• す (su)
• せ (se)
• そ (so)

Keep going until you have practiced every row. After practicing, try writing them down from memory. Write the Hiragana characters in one column and the sounds they make in another column. The more you practice, the easier it will be to memorize the characters and the sounds they represent.

Downloadable Hiragana Chart

To help you practice, you can also download a Hiragana chart that you can print out and use as a study guide. Having a chart that you can hang up on your wall or keep with your notebooks will make it easier to practice whenever you have time. The chart shows all the Hiragana characters in the same rows and columns as the one above, so you can use it for daily practice.

You can also practice writing the characters with a pen and paper. Writing helps you remember the shape of the characters and how they feel when you write them. Start by tracing the characters and then practice writing them without looking. This will help you memorize both how they look and how they sound.

Hiragana Combinations and Modifiers

Now that you’ve started learning the basic characters, there are a few special combinations and modifiers you should know about. These combinations help make even more sounds that are not covered by the basic 46 characters.

One important combination involves using small versions of the characters や (ya), ゆ (yu), and よ (yo). When these small characters are added to certain Hiragana, they change the sound slightly.

Here are some examples:

• き (ki) becomes きゃ (kya)
• し (shi) becomes しゃ (sha)
• ち (chi) becomes ちゃ (cha)

These new sounds are helpful because they expand your ability to form words. For example, きゃ (kya) is used in words like きゃく (kyaku), which means “guest.” By learning these combinations, you’ll be able to read and write even more Japanese words.

How to Use Modifiers

There are also two important marks called Dakuten and Handakuten. These small marks are added to Hiragana characters to change the sound slightly. Let’s take a look at how they work:

• Dakuten (゛): This mark looks like two little lines and it’s added to certain characters. When added, it changes the sound from a softer sound to a more voiced sound. For example:
  • か (ka) becomes が (ga)
  • さ (sa) becomes ざ (za)
  • た (ta) becomes だ (da)
• Handakuten (゜): This mark is a small circle that is added to characters in the H row to change the sound. It turns the “h” sound into a “p” sound. For example:
  • は (ha) becomes ぱ (pa)
  • ひ (hi) becomes ぴ (pi)
  • ふ (fu) becomes ぷ (pu)

These modifiers are very important because they help you say many more sounds in Japanese. With Dakuten and Handakuten, you’ll be able to form a lot of new words and say different types of sounds that aren’t in the basic chart.

Putting It All Together

Now that you’ve learned the basic Hiragana characters and how they work with combinations and modifiers, you’re ready to start practicing and using Hiragana in real sentences. Take your time and practice the chart until you feel comfortable recognizing the characters and saying their sounds.

Remember, Hiragana is the foundation of the Japanese language, so the more you practice, the more confident you will become in reading and writing Japanese. Keep practicing with flashcards, writing exercises, and apps, and soon you’ll master Hiragana!

Next, we’ll continue learning how to form words using Hiragana, and you’ll begin reading simple sentences in no time!

Hiragana Combinations and Modifiers

Now that you’ve gotten familiar with the basic Hiragana characters and how they form sounds, it’s time to learn about Hiragana combinations and modifiers. These are special characters and marks that slightly change or combine sounds, helping you say even more words. Learning these will expand your knowledge and make it easier to read and write more complex Japanese words.

One of the key combinations in Hiragana involves adding small versions of や (ya), ゆ (yu), and よ (yo) to other characters. When these small characters are added to a regular Hiragana character, they change the sound in an important way. Let’s look at some examples to help you understand:

• き (ki) becomes きゃ (kya)
• し (shi) becomes しゃ (sha)
• ち (chi) becomes ちゃ (cha)
• に (ni) becomes にゃ (nya)

So, what happens when we use these combinations? Let’s break it down.

For example, let’s take the word きゃく (kyaku), which means “guest.” The きゃ (kya) sound is formed by combining き (ki) and the small や (ya) to create a new sound: “kya.” This is a very common sound in Japanese, and you’ll see many words using this type of combination.

Another example is しゃ. This sound is created by combining し (shi) and the small や (ya). It sounds like “sha,” and is used in words like しゃしん (shashin), which means “photo.”

By learning these combinations, you can start reading and saying more complex words that go beyond the basic sounds. The good thing is, the pattern is always the same: a Hiragana character followed by a small や (ya), ゆ (yu), or よ (yo) to make new sounds. Practice these combinations with the following examples:

• きゅ (kyu) as in きゅう (kyuu), which means “nine.”
• にょ (nyo) as in にょろにょろ (nyoronyoro), which means “wiggly.”

Now that you’ve seen how combinations work, let’s look at another important part of Hiragana: modifiers.

Dakuten and Handakuten Marks

In addition to combinations, there are special marks called Dakuten and Handakuten. These small marks are added to Hiragana characters to change the sound slightly. Think of them as tiny helpers that make new sounds when added to a character.

Dakuten (゛)

Dakuten looks like two little lines (゛) that are added to a character. This mark changes a soft sound into a more voiced sound. For example:

• か (ka) becomes が (ga)
• さ (sa) becomes ざ (za)
• た (ta) becomes だ (da)

So, if you see the character か with a Dakuten mark (making it が), you know it’s no longer pronounced “ka” but “ga.”

Let’s try an example:

• The word がっこう (gakkou) means “school.” Without the Dakuten, か (ka) would be “kakkou,” but the Dakuten mark changes the sound to “gakkou.”

Handakuten (゜)

Handakuten is a small circle (゜) added to certain Hiragana characters in the H row. This mark changes the “h” sound into a “p” sound. For example:

• は (ha) becomes ぱ (pa)
• ひ (hi) becomes ぴ (pi)
• ふ (fu) becomes ぷ (pu)

Let’s try another example:

• The word ぱん (pan) means “bread.” Without the Handakuten, it would be はん (han), but the small circle changes it to “pan.”

These marks make a big difference in pronunciation, and they help create many new words. You can think of Dakuten and Handakuten as the special tools that allow you to say new sounds.

Here are more examples of Dakuten and Handakuten in action:

• さ (sa) becomes ざ (za)
• し (shi) becomes じ (ji)
• は (ha) becomes ぱ (pa)
• ふ (fu) becomes ぷ (pu)

Practice saying these new sounds out loud. You’ll start to notice them when reading Japanese words, and soon they will feel familiar to you.

Practice with Combinations and Modifiers

Now that you know how combinations and modifiers work, it’s time to put them into practice. Let’s try reading a few words using combinations and marks:

1. しゃしん (shashin) – This means “photo.” Notice how the し (shi) character becomes しゃ (sha) when it’s combined with the small や (ya).
2. きゅう (kyuu) – This means “nine.” Here, the き (ki) is combined with a small ゆ (yu) to create the sound “kyu.”
3. がっこう (gakkou) – This means “school.” The Dakuten mark turns か (ka) into が (ga) to form this word.
4. ぱん (pan) – This means “bread.” The Handakuten mark changes は (ha) to ぱ (pa) to make this sound.

Keep practicing reading these words and try to write them out as well. The more you practice, the better you will get at recognizing combinations and modifiers in Hiragana.

Special Rules and Exceptions in Hiragana

Now, let’s talk about a few special rules and exceptions in Hiragana. There are two important particles in Japanese that are written in Hiragana but are pronounced a little differently than they look. These particles are は (ha) and へ (he).

1. The particle は (wa): When the character は (ha) is used as a particle (a small word that connects ideas in a sentence), it’s not pronounced “ha” like usual. Instead, it’s pronounced “wa.” This can be a little confusing at first, but it’s an important rule to remember.
   • Example: これはほんです (Kore wa hon desu) means “This is a book.” The は here is pronounced “wa” because it is used as a particle.
2. The particle へ (e): Similarly, when the character へ (he) is used to show direction, it’s not pronounced “he.” Instead, it’s pronounced “e.”
   • Example: がっこうへいきます (Gakkou e ikimasu) means “I’m going to school.” The へ here is pronounced “e” because it’s showing the direction you are going.

These are two of the most common exceptions in Hiragana, so it’s important to practice them and get used to seeing them in sentences.

Rare Characters: ぢ (ji) and づ (zu)

There are two Hiragana characters, ぢ (ji) and づ (zu), that are very rare and not used often. Most of the time, the characters じ (ji) and ず (zu) are used instead. However, ぢ (ji) and づ (zu) do appear in some specific words, so it’s good to be aware of them.

For example:

• はなぢ (hanaji) means “nosebleed.” Here, the character ぢ is used, but it’s rare.
• つづく (tsuzuku) means “to continue.” The character づ is used in this case, but most of the time, ず (zu) is used instead.

These characters are exceptions, so don’t worry too much about memorizing them right away. Just be aware that they exist, and you’ll recognize them if you come across them.

Keep Practicing!

Now that you’ve learned about combinations, modifiers, and a few special rules, you’re well on your way to mastering Hiragana. Keep practicing by writing and reading these characters every day. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become in recognizing and using Hiragana in sentences.

In the next steps, you’ll continue learning how to form more words using what you’ve learned and start reading simple sentences in Japanese. Great job so far—keep going!

How to Memorize Hiragana Effectively

Learning Hiragana may seem like a big challenge, but with the right strategies, it can be both fun and easy. Just like learning the alphabet in English, Hiragana requires practice and memorization. Luckily, there are several tips and tricks to help you remember the characters more easily.

Let’s go over some helpful methods to make sure Hiragana sticks in your memory.

Flashcards

One of the best ways to memorize Hiragana is to use flashcards. You can either make your own flashcards or use an app that has flashcards built in. To make your own, write the Hiragana character on one side of the card and its sound on the other side. For example, write あ on one side and “a” (the sound it makes) on the other side.

Go through the flashcards every day, trying to guess the sound of the character before flipping the card over. Once you feel comfortable with one set of characters (for example, the five vowel sounds), move on to the next set.

Flashcards help because they let you practice seeing the character and immediately recalling the sound. You can shuffle them, practice with a friend or family member, or even time yourself to see how fast you can go through the deck. Over time, you’ll get faster and faster at recognizing the characters and remembering their sounds.

Japanese Alphabet and Writing Practice

Another great way to remember Hiragana is by writing the characters yourself. When you write the characters, your brain has to focus on their shapes, which helps you remember how they look. Start by tracing each character, then move on to writing them without looking at any examples.

It’s helpful to practice writing each character several times in a row. For example, write あ five times, then move on to い and do the same. This will help build muscle memory, making it easier for you to recognize the characters when you see them.

Here’s a tip: write out simple words in Hiragana once you’ve learned enough characters. For example, practice writing words like ねこ (neko), which means “cat,” or いぬ (inu), which means “dog.” By writing words instead of just characters, you’ll start seeing how the Hiragana characters come together to form real words.

Use Mnemonics

Mnemonics are memory tricks that help you associate the shape of a character with something familiar. Mnemonics are really fun and useful because they make learning feel like a game. For example:

• The character あ looks like someone opening their mouth wide and saying “ah!” This can help you remember that あ makes the “a” sound.
• The character い can look like two eels standing up, and it makes the sound “ee.”
• The character う can look like a loop, like the shape of the “oo” sound.

By coming up with a little story or picture for each character, you’ll have an easier time remembering what sound it makes. You can even draw little pictures next to the characters to remind yourself of the mnemonic story.

Practice Japanese Alphabet with Apps

There are many great apps that make learning Hiragana both fun and interactive. Some popular ones are LingoDeer, Anki, and Hiragana Quest. These apps help you practice Hiragana through games, quizzes, and flashcards, making it feel less like studying and more like playing.

One cool feature of these apps is that they keep track of your progress, so you can see how much you’ve learned over time. They also let you practice at your own pace, so you can focus on mastering one set of characters before moving on to the next. The more you play, the more confident you’ll become in recognizing and writing Hiragana.

Daily Practice Routine

Learning Hiragana is all about consistent practice. Try to set aside 10–15 minutes each day to practice reading, writing, or reviewing Hiragana characters. Here’s a simple daily routine you can follow:

• Day 1: Start by learning the vowel sounds (あ, い, う, え, お). Practice writing and saying these characters aloud.
• Day 2: Add the “K” sounds (か, き, く, け, こ) to your list. Review the vowels from Day 1 and practice the new characters.
• Day 3: Add the “S” sounds (さ, し, す, せ, そ) and continue reviewing everything you’ve learned so far.
• Day 4 and beyond: Keep adding new characters, but always review the older ones. This will help you remember everything without feeling overwhelmed.

As you go through each day’s practice, you’ll find that recognizing and writing Hiragana becomes more natural. The key is to keep practicing every day so that you don’t forget what you’ve learned.

Practice Reading Simple Words

Once you’ve learned enough Hiragana characters, try reading some simple words. Here are a few to get you started:

• ねこ (neko) – “Cat”
• いぬ (inu) – “Dog”
• ほん (hon) – “Book”
• すし (sushi) – “Sushi”

Write these words down and practice reading them out loud. Try to sound out each character and say the word slowly at first. Over time, you’ll get faster at recognizing the characters and saying the words correctly.

Review with Friends or Family

If you have a friend or family member who is also interested in learning Japanese, you can review Hiragana together! Quiz each other on the characters or take turns reading simple words. Practicing with someone else makes learning more fun, and you can help each other remember tricky characters.

If you don’t have anyone to practice with, you can still review by testing yourself. Go through your flashcards, practice writing the characters, or use apps to quiz yourself. The more you challenge yourself, the better you’ll become.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned some great ways to memorize Hiragana, keep practicing every day! Once you’ve mastered the basic Hiragana characters, you’ll be ready to move on to reading and writing simple sentences. This will open up a whole new world of Japanese learning.

Next, we’ll explore Katakana, another important part of the Japanese writing system. Katakana is used for foreign words, and once you learn it, you’ll be able to read even more words in Japanese.

Congratulations! You’ve taken the first big step toward learning Japanese by diving into Hiragana. By now, you should have a good understanding of what Hiragana is, how it works, and why it’s so important. You’ve learned how each character represents a sound, and you’ve explored how to combine those sounds to create words. You’ve also learned some great ways to memorize the characters, like using flashcards, writing practice, and fun mnemonics.

Learning a new writing system can seem like a huge challenge at first, but with daily practice, you’ll start to notice real progress. The more you practice, the easier it will become to recognize Hiragana characters and say their sounds correctly. Just remember, learning Japanese alphabet is a journey, and mastering Hiragana is your very first milestone. Keep practicing each day, and before you know it, you’ll be reading and writing simple sentences in Japanese!

Once you feel confident with Hiragana, the next step is to explore Katakana, which is another Japanese writing system used for foreign words. After that, you’ll begin to learn Kanji, which are more complex characters borrowed from Chinese. But for now, your focus should be on mastering Hiragana completely.

Download the Hiragana Chart

To help you with your learning journey, we’ve provided a Hiragana Chart that you can download and print. This chart includes all the basic Hiragana characters and their sounds, so you can use it as a reference while you study. It’s a great tool to keep nearby as you practice writing and reading.

You can download the chart here: Hiragana Chart PDF

Print it out, hang it on your wall, or keep it in your notebook to review whenever you need. Having this chart as a study guide will make your learning more efficient and fun.

Final Encouragement

Learning Hiragana is just the beginning of your Japanese language adventure. It may seem tough at first, but remember that every new character you learn brings you closer to reading and understanding Japanese. Don’t rush, and enjoy the process of learning something new every day.

Here you can download a free Hiragana Worksheet PDF here to kickstart your Japanese language learning journey.

Keep practicing, stay patient, and have fun with your studies! Whether you’re writing out your first Japanese words or reading simple sentences, you’re making progress. You’ve already made a huge step by starting with Hiragana, and you should be proud of that.

Good luck with your continued practice, and don’t forget to download your Hiragana chart to help guide you along the way! Keep up the great work, and soon you’ll be mastering more and more of the Japanese language.