Japanese Language: A Guide To Hiragana

Hiragana Japanese Writing
n w r y m h n t s k    
a
      i
    u
      e
  o
          b   d z g    
              a
                i
                u
              e
              o
          p            
                    a
                    i
                    u
                    e
                    o
    r   m h n ch sh k    
    りゃ   みゃ ひゃ にゃ ちゃ しゃ きゃ   ya
    りゅ   みゅ ひゅ にゅ ちゅ しゅ きゅ   yu
    りょ   みょ ひょ にょ ちょ しょ きょ   yo
          b     j g    
          びゃ     じゃ ぎゃ   ya
          びゅ     じゅ ぎゅ   yu
          びょ     じょ ぎょ   yo
          p            
          ぴゃ           ya
          ぴゅ           yu
          ぴょ           yo
  The consonants and vowels used to form Japanese sounds – read romaji
  Basic hiragana characters (click each character for more information)
  Combination Japanese sounds
  Exceptions
  • Reading order – the table above should be read in the following order:
  • read each a, i, u, e, o section from top to bottom and then from right to left:
  • ie:  あ   い   う   え   お   か   き   く   け   こ
  • then read each ya, yu, yo combination Japanese sound section from top to bottom and then from right to left:
  • ie:  きゃ   きゅ   きょ
  • Exceptions
  •   ,   ,   ,    – different sound, read pronunciation
  •   ,    – two ways to pronounce, read pronunciation
  •  ちゃ ,  ちゅ ,  ちょ ,  しゃ   しゅ   しょ  – read pronunciation
  • Sound equivalents – each hiragana character has a katakana and a romaji sound equivalent:
  • ie: hiragana  あ  = katakana  ア  =  romaji  “a”

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