Hiragana Chart (Free + Easy Guide)

What Is Hiragana?

Hiragana (ひらがな) is one of three writing systems used in Japanese. It consists of 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable (mora). Hiragana is the first script every Japanese learner should master because:

• It's used for native Japanese words
• It appears in grammar particles and verb endings
• Children's books and beginner texts use it extensively
• Knowing it unlocks basic reading ability immediately

The Complete Hiragana Chart

The 46 basic Hiragana characters are organized into rows based on their consonant sound:

Vowels (あ Row)

K Row

S Row

T Row

N Row

H Row

M Row

Y Row

R Row

W Row + N

Dakuten and Handakuten (Voiced Sounds)

Adding two small dots (゛) or a circle (゜) to certain characters creates new sounds:

Dakuten (゛)

• G sounds: が (ga), ぎ (gi), ぐ (gu), げ (ge), ご (go)
• Z sounds: ざ (za), じ (ji), ず (zu), ぜ (ze), ぞ (zo)
• D sounds: だ (da), ぢ (di), づ (du), で (de), ど (do)
• B sounds: ば (ba), び (bi), ぶ (bu), べ (be), ぼ (bo)

Handakuten (゜)

• P sounds: ぱ (pa), ぴ (pi), ぷ (pu), ぺ (pe), ぽ (po)

How to Study Hiragana Effectively

The 5-Day Method

1. Day 1: Learn あ, い, う, え, お (vowels) + か, き, く, け, こ (K row)
2. Day 2: Learn さ, し, す, せ, そ (S row) + た, ち, つ, て, と (T row)
3. Day 3: Learn な, に, ぬ, ね, の (N row) + は, ひ, ふ, へ, ほ (H row)
4. Day 4: Learn ま, み, む, め, も (M row) + や, ゆ, よ (Y row)
5. Day 5: Learn ら, り, る, れ, ろ (R row) + わ, を, ん (W row + N)

Practice Tips

• Write by hand — Physical writing reinforces muscle memory
• Use flashcards — Our interactive Hiragana lessons work like digital flashcards with audio
• Read simple words — Try reading: さくら (sakura), すし (sushi), ありがとう (arigatou)
• Test yourself — Take the Hiragana quiz after each study session
• Daily review — Spend 10 minutes reviewing old characters before learning new ones

Common Hiragana Mistakes

1. Confusing し (shi) and つ (tsu) — し curves right, つ curves down
2. Mixing up は (ha) and ほ (ho) — ほ has an extra horizontal stroke
3. Forgetting ん (n) — The only consonant-only character
4. Wrong stroke order — Always write top-to-bottom, left-to-right

What's Next After Hiragana?

Once you've mastered Hiragana, move on to:

1. [Katakana](/katakana) — The second phonetic alphabet for foreign words
2. [Vocabulary](/vocab) — Start building your JLPT N5 word bank
3. [Grammar](/grammar) — Learn basic sentence patterns
4. [Conversation](/conversation) — Practice real dialogue scenarios

Start your Hiragana journey now with SkillDojo's complete Hiragana course — it's free, interactive, and includes audio for every character.