How to write Hiragana
There are three types of characters in Japanese. Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and katakana have 46 letters, kanji have 2,136 letters in common use in newspapers, magazines, broadcasts, etc. Let’s start with the most basic one, “Hiragana”.
Hiragana pronunciation
How to write
“あ” row
Reading practice
① あい love
② あお blue
③ うえ up
④ いえ house
A．
① ai
② ao
③ ue
④ ie
“か” row
① いけ pond
② うき float
③ かお face
④ おく put
⑤ こい carp
A．
① ike
② uki
③ kao
④ oku
⑤ koi
“さ” row
① さけ alcohol
② おす push
③ しき four seasons
④ くせ habit
⑤ そこ there
A．
① sake
② osu
③ shiki
④ kuse
⑤ soko
“た” row
① とくい be good at
② てこ lever
③ かち value
④ つくえ desk
⑤ たき waterfall
A．
① tokui
② teko
③ kachi
④ tsukue
⑤ taki
“な” row
① きぬ silk
② ねこ cat
③ のこす leave
④ にく meat
⑤ すな sand
A．
① kinu
② neko
③ nokosu
④ niku
⑤ suna
“は” row
① ほそい thin
② ひな chick
③ へそ belly button
④ ふく clothes
⑤ はね wing
A．
① hosoi
② hina
③ heso
④ fuku
⑤ hane
“ま” row
① むかし old days
② なまえ name
③ かいもの shopping
④ はなみ cherry-blossom viewing
⑤ ひかえめ moderate
A．
① mukashi
② namae
③ kaimono
④ hanami
⑤ hikaeme
“や” row
① やすみ holiday
② よむ read
③ ゆめ dream
A．
① yasumi
② yomu
③ yume
“ら” row
① まもる protect
② ねらい aim
③ りく land
④ れきし history
⑤ あくろ bad road
A．
① mamoru
② nerai
③ riku
④ rekishi
⑤ akuro
“わ” row
① わいろ bribe
② おんせん hot spring
③ ふくをかいます buy clothes
＊How to use “を” is explained in Hiragana Lesson 6
A．
① wairo
② onsen
③ fuku o kaimasu
Writing practice
① yu me
② a so ko
③ o to
④ ki tsu ne
⑤ i ke
⑥ ho ta ru
⑦ te ko
⑧ ka ri ru
⑨ he ya
⑩ ha sa mi
⑪ re n ra ku
⑫ se na ka
⑬ o su shi
⑭ nu ri e
⑮ ya su mi
⑯ mo chi ro n
⑰ yo ro shi ku
⑱ hi ma wa ri
⑲ mu ra sa ki
⑳ u ma ni no ru
A．
① ゆめ dream
② あそこ over there
③ おと sound
④ きつね fox
⑤ いけ pond
⑥ ほたる firefly
⑦ てこ lever
⑧ かりる borrow
⑨ へや room
⑩ はさみ scissors
⑪ れんらく contact
⑫ せなか back
⑬ おすし sushi
⑭ ぬりえ coloring
⑮ やすみ holiday
⑯ もちろん of course
⑰ よろしく nice to meet you
⑱ ひまわり sunflower
⑲ むらさき purple
⑳ うまにのる ride a horse