Learn Japanese · JLPT N5
Hiragana chart — all 104 sounds, with English and Hindi
The 46 basic hiragana, the 25 with dakuten and handakuten, and the 33 youon combinations — each with its romaji and the nearest Hindi sound.
Basic · 46
| A | I | U | E | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あaअ | いiइ | うuउ | えeए | おoओ |
| かkaका | きkiकि | くkuकु | けkeके | こkoको |
| さsaसा | しshiशि | すsuसु | せseसे | そsoसो |
| たtaता | ちchiचि | つtsuत्सु | てteते | とtoतो |
| なnaना | にniनि | ぬnuनु | ねneने | のnoनो |
| はhaहा | ひhiहि | ふfuफ़ु | へheहे | ほhoहो |
| まmaमा | みmiमि | むmuमु | めmeमे | もmoमो |
| やyaया | ゆyuयु | よyoयो | ||
| らraरा | りriरि | るruरु | れreरे | ろroरो |
| わwaवा | んnन् | をwoओ |
Dakuten · 20
| A | I | U | E | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| がgaगा | ぎgiगि | ぐguगु | げgeगे | ごgoगो |
| ざzaज़ा | じjiजि | ずzuज़ु | ぜzeज़े | ぞzoज़ो |
| だdaदा | ぢjiजि | づzuज़ु | でdeदे | どdoदो |
| ばbaबा | びbiबि | ぶbuबु | べbeबे | ぼboबो |
Handakuten · 5
| A | I | U | E | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ぱpaपा | ぴpiपि | ぷpuपु | ぺpeपे | ぽpoपो |
Youon · 33
| YA | YU | YO |
|---|---|---|
| きゃkyaक्या | きゅkyuक्यु | きょkyoक्यो |
| しゃshaशा | しゅshuशु | しょshoशो |
| ちゃchaचा | ちゅchuचु | ちょchoचो |
| にゃnyaन्या | にゅnyuन्यु | にょnyoन्यो |
| ひゃhyaह्या | ひゅhyuह्यु | ひょhyoह्यो |
| みゃmyaम्या | みゅmyuम्यु | みょmyoम्यो |
| りゃryaर्या | りゅryuर्यु | りょryoर्यो |
| ぎゃgyaग्या | ぎゅgyuग्यु | ぎょgyoग्यो |
| じゃjaजा | じゅjuजु | じょjoजो |
| びゃbyaब्या | びゅbyuब्यु | びょbyoब्यो |
| ぴゃpyaप्या | ぴゅpyuप्यु | ぴょpyoप्यो |
っ — そくおん
A small つ doubles the next consonant and adds a beat of silence. きって kitte (stamp) is not きて kite (come).
Long vowels — ちょうおん
おかあさん okaasan · おにいさん oniisan · くうき kuuki. The お row usually lengthens with う: がっこう gakkou, とうきょう Toukyou.
Three that change as particles
は is read wa · へ is read e · を is read o. Only as particles.
Questions
How many hiragana are there?
46 basic hiragana. Add the 20 with dakuten (two dots, e.g. が ga), the 5 with handakuten (a small circle, e.g. ぱ pa) and the 33 youon combinations with a small や, ゆ or よ (e.g. きゃ kya), and you can write every sound in Japanese: 104 in all on this chart.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Hiragana. It writes Japanese words, grammar endings and particles, so you meet it in every sentence. Katakana writes loanwords such as コーヒー koohii (coffee) and is easier once hiragana is in place.
How long does it take to learn hiragana?
Many learners can read the 46 basic hiragana in one to two weeks with 20–30 minutes a day: one row (five kana) a day, reading and writing, and a short review of earlier rows before each new one.
What is the Hindi column for?
It shows the closest Hindi sound, as a pronunciation aid for learners who think in Hindi. It is not exact: Japanese う u is lighter than उ, ふ fu sits between फ़ु and हु, and the ら row sits between र and ल.
Is hiragana on the JLPT N5?
Yes. N5 questions are written in hiragana and katakana with a small set of kanji, so you need to read all kana fluently before the exam.