Read these words
こんにちは · ありがとう · すし · ねこ
konnichiwa (hello) · arigatō (thank you) · sushi · neko (cat).
Hiragana Chart
Hiragana is the first Japanese script to learn. The basic chart has 46 characters; dakuten and handakuten add voiced sounds, and small yōon combinations add contracted sounds.
Basic hiragana
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ a | い i | う u | え e | お o |
| か ka | き ki | く ku | け ke | こ ko |
| 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 |
| は ha | ひ hi | ふ fu | へ he | ほ ho |
| ま ma | み mi | む mu | め me | も mo |
| や ya | — | ゆ yu | — | よ yo |
| ら ra | り ri | る ru | れ re | ろ ro |
| わ wa | — | — | — | を o |
| ん n | — | — | — | — |
Dakuten (voiced) and handakuten
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| が ga | ぎ gi | ぐ gu | げ ge | ご go |
| ざ za | じ ji | ず zu | ぜ ze | ぞ zo |
| だ da | ぢ ji | づ zu | で de | ど do |
| ば ba | び bi | ぶ bu | べ be | ぼ bo |
| ぱ pa | ぴ pi | ぷ pu | ぺ pe | ぽ po |
Yōon combinations
| Base | ゃ ya | ゅ yu | ょ yo |
|---|---|---|---|
| き ki | きゃ kya | きゅ kyu | きょ kyo |
| し shi | しゃ sha | しゅ shu | しょ sho |
| ち chi | ちゃ cha | ちゅ chu | ちょ cho |
| に ni | にゃ nya | にゅ nyu | にょ nyo |
| ひ hi | ひゃ hya | ひゅ hyu | ひょ hyo |
| み mi | みゃ mya | みゅ myu | みょ myo |
| り ri | りゃ rya | りゅ ryu | りょ ryo |
| ぎ gi | ぎゃ gya | ぎゅ gyu | ぎょ gyo |
| じ ji | じゃ ja | じゅ ju | じょ jo |
| び bi | びゃ bya | びゅ byu | びょ byo |
| ぴ pi | ぴゃ pya | ぴゅ pyu | ぴょ pyo |
Pronunciation notes
- し is “shi”, not “si”. ち is “chi”, not “ti”. つ is “tsu”, not “tu”.
- ふ is a soft “fu” made with both lips, not an English “hu”.
- を is pronounced “o” and is used only as a particle.
- ん is a nasal sound that changes with the following consonant.
- Small っ doubles the next consonant: きって = kitte.
- Long vowels are held longer: おばさん (obasan, aunt) vs おばあさん (obaasan, grandmother).
Worked examples
FAQ
How long does hiragana take to learn?
Most learners recognize all 46 basic characters in one to two weeks with daily practice.
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Hiragana is used for native words and grammar; katakana is used for foreign words, names, and emphasis.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Start with hiragana because it appears in grammar and sentences more often.
Last updated November 1, 2026. Formulas are checked against standard references. Read the editorial policy.