Hiragana Chart

Hiragana is the foundation of Japanese writing. These 46 characters represent every sound in the Japanese language. Click any character to learn more about pronunciation, mnemonics, and usage.

Basic Hiragana (46 characters)

Vowels

KA Row

SA Row

TA Row

NA Row

HA Row

MA Row

YA Row

RA Row

WA Row

Dakuten & Handakuten

Dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) are diacritical marks that modify the sound of basic hiragana characters, creating 25 additional sounds.

Vowels

KA Row

SA Row

TA Row

NA Row

HA Row

MA Row

YA Row

RA Row

WA Row

GA Row

ZA Row

DA Row

BA Row

PA Row

How to Learn Hiragana

Step 1

Start with vowels

Learn あいうえお first — they're the building blocks of every other character.

Step 2

Learn row by row

Each consonant row (ka, sa, ta...) follows the same vowel pattern: a, i, u, e, o.

Step 3

Use mnemonics

Associate each character with a visual image. For example, し (shi) looks like a fishhook.

Step 4

Practice in context

Read real Japanese words as soon as possible. Context makes characters stick.

Related Resources

Katakana Chart →Japanese Words →JLPT N5 Guide →Kana Quiz →

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