The easiest way to learn hiragana? Discover how to read and write hiragana with mnemonics – a powerful memory technique that helps you retain every character with ease. Whether you’re a beginner or brushing up on your basics, this guide gives you a complete foundation in Hiragana, the first Japanese script every learner must master.

What is Hiragana?

Hiragana is one of the essential scripts in the Japanese writing system, forming a phonetic syllabary used to represent native Japanese words, grammatical particles, and inflections. Together with katakana and kanji, it makes up the three-script writing system of modern Japanese. Unlike kanji, which consists of complex Chinese-derived characters representing meaning, hiragana is purely phonetic—each character corresponds to a distinct syllable or sound.

In historical context, kanji was introduced to Japan from China around the 5th century CE. However, since the structure of Chinese did not align well with Japanese grammar, it led to the development of more suitable scripts. 

Hiragana and katakana evolved from man’yōgana, an early phonetic system based on kanji characters. While kanji represents meaning, hiragana captures sound, which makes it especially helpful for grammatical markers and native vocabulary that lack specific kanji.

Today, hiragana is the first writing system taught to Japanese children and learners worldwide. Every textbook, children’s book, signage, and most beginner resources begin with hiragana. Without a strong grasp of it, it’s nearly impossible to move forward in studying the language. Fortunately, learning hiragana is not only essential—it’s also achievable within a few days with the right tools and memory tricks.

If you’re starting to learn Japanese, it’s essential to master Hiragana and Katakana, the two basic writing systems. Check out this detailed guide on Learn Japanese Hiragana & Katakana – Basics of Japanese Language to get started with the fundamentals.

Key Aspects of Hiragana

Phonetic Script

Hiragana is a syllabic script where each symbol represents a specific sound. Unlike English, where individual letters combine to form sounds, hiragana characters are complete phonetic units, making it intuitive for pronunciation and sentence structure.

Grammatical Particles

Japanese grammar relies heavily on particles like は (wa), を (wo), に (ni), and で (de), which indicate sentence roles. These are almost always written in hiragana, as they serve grammatical rather than lexical purposes.

Native Japanese Words

Words that are uniquely Japanese, without Chinese roots, are typically written in hiragana. It’s also used when the corresponding kanji is too obscure, complex, or outdated to be used in everyday writing.

Furigana

Hiragana is often written alongside kanji (especially in children’s books or learner texts) as furigana—small characters that indicate pronunciation. This is especially helpful for non-native speakers or complex readings.

Historical Use

Originally, hiragana was developed and popularized by women in the imperial court as a cursive and informal writing style. It was once referred to as “women’s hand” (女手, onnade) and used primarily for poetry and literature.

Modern Usage

Hiragana is used across all forms of written Japanese, from storybooks and menus to digital content and official documents. While kanji may provide the nuance, hiragana provides the grammar and readability.

Once you’re comfortable with Hiragana and Katakana, the next step is to dive into Kanji. Explore this guide on Learn Kanji and Simple Words of Kanji to build your Japanese vocabulary with essential characters.

The Structure of Hiragana: Vowels to Consonants

There are 46 basic hiragana characters, each representing a core syllable in the Japanese language. Learning begins with the five vowels—あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), お (o)—which are foundational for pronunciation and spelling.

After the vowels, characters are organized by consonant rows (K, S, T, N, H, M, Y, R, W) and each is paired with the five vowels. This gives us sets like か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke), こ (ko), and so on.

This layout is easy to remember, and when paired with mnemonics, it becomes even faster to master.

Our Favorite Mnemonics for the 5 Vowels

These vivid mental images help connect unfamiliar characters with familiar sensations and sounds, accelerating memorization.

Hiragana Transformations

You may notice some sounds missing from the base chart—where are ‘gi’, ‘zo’, or ‘pi’? Rather than adding new characters, Japanese uses transformations to modify existing ones. These include dakuten, handakuten, and combinations.

Dakuten and Handakuten

• Dakuten (゛) are two strokes added to a kana to create a voiced version:
  か (ka) becomes が (ga), た (ta) becomes だ (da).
  
   
• Handakuten (゜) is a small circle, used only on the H row:
  は (ha) becomes ぱ (pa), ひ (hi) becomes ぴ (pi).

These marks are essential for words like がくせい (gakusei, student) or ぴかぴか (pika pika, shiny).

Combinations (Yōon)

To form sounds like kyo or chu, we use small versions of the “ya, yu, yo” sounds after an “i”-column character:

• きゃ (kya), ぎゅ (gyu), しゃ (sha), ちょ (cho), etc.
  
   
• These combinations are used in many common words like きょう (kyou – today) and しゅくだい (shukudai – homework).

Small つ: The Hard Stop

The small version of the character つ (tsu) is a pause marker. It’s not pronounced but signals a glottal stop—a brief pause between syllables. This is vital for pronunciation.

• ろく (roku) = six
  
   
• ろっく (rokku) = rock music
   
• ざし (zashi) = spectator
   
• ざっし (zasshi) = magazine

This tiny change creates a huge difference in meaning and tone.

For a complete roadmap to mastering the language, visit our comprehensive resource on Learn Japanese Language and start your journey today!

Hiragana Chart PDF 

A full hiragana chart is your go-to reference for mastering the script. It includes all basic, transformed, and combination characters in a simple grid for easy practice.

📥 Download the complete Hiragana Chart in JPG and PDF format below – perfect for printouts, flashcards, and daily drills. Keep it nearby while studying for quick recall and practice.

Hiragana Table PDF

Printable Hiragana Table Pdf 

How to Learn Hiragana with Mnemonics: The 5 Vowels

Learning the five core Japanese vowels is the first—and most important—step in mastering hiragana. These five sounds serve as the foundation for all other syllables in the Japanese language. To help lock these into memory, we use mnemonics, or memory aids that connect each sound to a vivid, memorable mental image.

These mnemonics link the sound of each vowel to a familiar scenario or feeling, making the characters much easier to recall and recognize.

 Hiragana Transformations: Dakuten, Handakuten & Combinations

Once you've mastered the base characters, you'll notice certain important sounds are still missing—like gi, zu, po, or chu. Good news: you don’t have to learn new symbols from scratch. Hiragana transformations help us generate these sounds by modifying or combining base characters.

 Dakuten (゛) & Handakuten (゜)

• Dakuten are two short diagonal strokes placed at the top right of a character to "voice" it.
  
  
  • Example: か (ka) → が (ga), さ (sa) → ざ (za)
    
     
• Handakuten is a small circle (゜) used with the h row to produce "p" sounds.
  
  
  • Example: は (ha) → ぱ (pa), ひ (hi) → ぴ (pi)

These small marks expand the sound inventory and are indispensable for vocabulary, like:

• ごはん (gohan – rice/meal)
• ぴかぴか (pikapika – shiny)

 Combination Sounds (Yōon): Kya, Sha, Chu & More

To make sounds like kyo, chu, or ryu, we combine an “i”-line character (like き, し, ち) with a small version of a “y”-series kana (や, ゆ, よ).

Here’s a full combination chart:

These are especially useful in common words like:

• きょう (kyou – today)
• しゅくだい (shukudai – homework)
• ちゅうごく (chuugoku – China)

Look for the smaller "ya/yu/yo" characters, which are a giveaway that you're reading a combined syllable.

⏸ Hard Stops: The Small つ (っ)

A small version of the character つ (tsu) doesn’t make a sound. Instead, it creates a glottal stop—a brief pause in the pronunciation, much like a quick silence or doubled consonant.

This can dramatically change the meaning of a word:

Understanding this nuance is essential to speaking and listening comprehension. The small っ often appears in loan words, verbs, and onomatopoeia.

FAQs About Hiragana

What is better – Hiragana or Katakana?
Neither is “better”—they serve different purposes. Hiragana is used for native words and grammar, while katakana is for foreign words and emphasis.

What is A to Z in Japanese?
Japanese doesn’t use an A–Z alphabet. Instead, it uses syllables. Hiragana is the script to learn phonetic sounds like a, ka, sa, and so on.

What is Hiragana in Japan?
Hiragana is the backbone of Japanese writing for grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation aids. It’s taught in schools and used in everyday life.

Is Hiragana for girls?
Historically, it was associated with women’s writing. Today, it’s gender-neutral and universally used across all contexts.

Which script is most used in Japan?
A mix of kanji and hiragana dominates Japanese writing. Hiragana is especially crucial in grammar and children's learning.

Should I learn Hiragana or Kanji first?
Start with hiragana. It’s the foundation for reading Japanese. Once comfortable, you can begin integrating kanji into your studies.