Complete reference for all hiragana characters. See the hiragana skill guide for the learning strategy, stroke order tips, and practice methods.
Base Hiragana (46 characters)
|
a |
i |
u |
e |
o |
| ∅ |
あ (a) |
い (i) |
う (u) |
え (e) |
お (o) |
| k |
か (ka) |
き (ki) |
く (ku) |
け (ke) |
こ (ko) |
| s |
さ (sa) |
し (shi) |
す (su) |
せ (se) |
そ (so) |
| t |
た (ta) |
ち (chi) |
つ (tsu) |
て (te) |
と (to) |
| n |
な (na) |
に (ni) |
ぬ (nu) |
ね (ne) |
の (no) |
| h |
は (ha) |
ひ (hi) |
ふ (fu) |
へ (he) |
ほ (ho) |
| m |
ま (ma) |
み (mi) |
む (mu) |
め (me) |
も (mo) |
| y |
や (ya) |
|
ゆ (yu) |
|
よ (yo) |
| r |
ら (ra) |
り (ri) |
る (ru) |
れ (re) |
ろ (ro) |
| w |
わ (wa) |
|
|
|
を (wo/o) |
| n |
ん (n/m/ng) |
|
|
|
|
Dakuten Variants (20 characters — voiced)
|
a |
i |
u |
e |
o |
| g |
が (ga) |
ぎ (gi) |
ぐ (gu) |
げ (ge) |
ご (go) |
| z |
ざ (za) |
じ (ji) |
ず (zu) |
ぜ (ze) |
ぞ (zo) |
| d |
だ (da) |
ぢ (ji*) |
づ (zu*) |
で (de) |
ど (do) |
| b |
ば (ba) |
び (bi) |
ぶ (bu) |
べ (be) |
ぼ (bo) |
*ぢ and づ are rarely used; じ and ず are standard for "ji" and "zu" sounds.
Handakuten Variants (5 characters — p-sound)
Combination Characters (Yōon — 33 characters)
Small や, ゆ, よ after i-column characters:
|
ya |
yu |
yo |
| きゃ kya |
きゅ kyu |
きょ kyo |
|
| しゃ sha |
しゅ shu |
しょ sho |
|
| ちゃ cha |
ちゅ chu |
ちょ cho |
|
| にゃ nya |
にゅ nyu |
にょ nyo |
|
| ひゃ hya |
ひゅ hyu |
ひょ hyo |
|
| みゃ mya |
みゅ myu |
みょ myo |
|
| りゃ rya |
りゅ ryu |
りょ ryo |
|
| ぎゃ gya |
ぎゅ gyu |
ぎょ gyo |
|
| じゃ ja |
じゅ ju |
じょ jo |
|
| びゃ bya |
びゅ byu |
びょ byo |
|
| ぴゃ pya |
ぴゅ pyu |
ぴょ pyo |
|
Special Characters
| Character |
Name |
Usage |
| っ |
small tsu |
Geminate consonant: doubles next consonant. 切手 kitte (stamp) |
| ー |
long vowel mark |
Extends previous vowel (more common in katakana, also used in hiragana) |
Complete Character Table with Stroke Counts
| Char |
Romaji |
Strokes |
Notes |
| あ |
a |
3 |
|
| い |
i |
2 |
|
| う |
u |
2 |
|
| え |
e |
2 |
|
| お |
o |
3 |
|
| か |
ka |
3 |
|
| き |
ki |
4 |
|
| く |
ku |
1 |
Simplest character |
| け |
ke |
3 |
|
| こ |
ko |
2 |
|
| さ |
sa |
3 |
|
| し |
shi |
1 |
Curved hook |
| す |
su |
2 |
|
| せ |
se |
3 |
|
| そ |
so |
2 |
|
| た |
ta |
4 |
|
| ち |
chi |
2 |
|
| つ |
tsu |
1 |
|
| て |
te |
1 |
|
| と |
to |
2 |
|
| な |
na |
4 |
|
| に |
ni |
3 |
|
| ぬ |
nu |
2 |
Confusable with め |
| ね |
ne |
2 |
|
| の |
no |
1 |
Simple loop |
| は |
ha |
3 |
|
| ひ |
hi |
1 |
|
| ふ |
fu |
4 |
|
| へ |
he |
1 |
Same shape as katakana ヘ |
| ほ |
ho |
4 |
|
| ま |
ma |
3 |
|
| み |
mi |
2 |
|
| む |
mu |
3 |
|
| め |
me |
2 |
Confusable with ぬ |
| も |
mo |
3 |
|
| や |
ya |
3 |
|
| ゆ |
yu |
2 |
|
| よ |
yo |
2 |
|
| ら |
ra |
2 |
|
| り |
ri |
2 |
|
| る |
ru |
1 |
Has loop at bottom |
| れ |
re |
1 |
|
| ろ |
ro |
1 |
No loop at bottom; confusable with る |
| わ |
wa |
2 |
|
| を |
wo/o |
3 |
Object particle only |
| ん |
n |
1 |
|
Special Reading Rules
| Character |
Normal reading |
Special reading |
Context |
| は |
ha |
wa |
When used as topic particle |
| へ |
he |
e |
When used as direction particle |
| を |
wo |
o |
Object particle (always "o" in speech) |
| じ vs ぢ |
ji |
ji |
ぢ used only in specific words (ちぢむ) |
| ず vs づ |
zu |
zu |
づ used only in specific words (つづく) |
Hiragana-Only Vocabulary Practice
Words written entirely in hiragana (no kanji needed at beginner level):
| Hiragana |
Romaji |
English |
| あいさつ |
aisatsu |
greeting |
| いす |
isu |
chair |
| うえ |
ue |
above; top |
| おかね |
okane |
money |
| かさ |
kasa |
umbrella |
| きって |
kitte |
postage stamp |
| くつ |
kutsu |
shoes |
| こおり |
koori |
ice |
| さかな |
sakana |
fish |
| しごと |
shigoto |
work; job |
| すし |
sushi |
sushi |
| せんせい |
sensei |
teacher |
| たべもの |
tabemono |
food |
| ちかてつ |
chikatetsu |
subway |
| つくえ |
tsukue |
desk |
| てがみ |
tegami |
letter (mail) |
| ともだち |
tomodachi |
friend |
| なまえ |
namae |
name |
| にほんご |
nihongo |
Japanese language |
| ねこ |
neko |
cat |
| のみもの |
nomimono |
drink; beverage |
| はなし |
hanashi |
story; talk |
| ひこうき |
hikouki |
airplane |
| ふゆ |
fuyu |
winter |
| へや |
heya |
room |
| まど |
mado |
window |
| みせ |
mise |
shop; store |
| むすこ |
musuko |
son |
| めがね |
megane |
glasses |
| もり |
mori |
forest |
| やさい |
yasai |
vegetable |
| ゆき |
yuki |
snow |
| よる |
yoru |
night |
| らいねん |
rainen |
next year |
| りんご |
ringo |
apple |
| るす |
rusu |
away from home |
| れんしゅう |
renshuu |
practice |
| ろうか |
rouka |
corridor; hallway |
| わたし |
watashi |
I; me |