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LESSON 1: Hiraganaひらがな



The chart is read in columns from right to left. The consonant is followed by the vowel the marks the edges. So the first (right most) column is read, “a, I, u, a o.” The second column is “ka, ki, ku ke ko.” And so on. When you're learning Hiragana, its best to actually learn the sounds of each letter, rather than constantly translating it back to the romanji, you'll get the hang of Japanese faster that way. The rules to pronunciation are as follows.

When Wriring: Individual letters are generally written with strokes originating from the upper left to the lower right. If lines cross, the horizontal line is written before the vertical. Japanese can be written left to right like English, or top to bottom, in which case, you begin in the top right corner. There is no need to put spaces between words, and if a world will not fit on a line, it can be continued on the next line without a hyphen.

1. Vowels: The following is true in all letteres, with or without consonant sounds.
a. A is always pronounced as in “father”
b. I is always prounced as in “mean” (I know there’s know I, but go with it)
c. U is always pronounced as in “loose”
d. E is always pronounced as in “weigh”
e. O is always pronounced as in “Moe”
f. The "R" line is actually a sound between R and L. There is no differentiation in Japanese.

2. There are some irregularities.
a. The し is pronounced “shi”
b. The ち Is pronounce “chi”
c. The つ is pronounced “tsu” as in “tsunami” The u is almost not pronounced at all.
d. The ん is just “n” the is not vowel sound
e. The は is “ha “ if it is in the beginning or middle of a world. If it is at the end it is pronounced “wa” because it is a topic marker.
r. The ふ is “fu”with a soft F, not “hu”
g. The へ is sometimes pronounced “e” depending on the region of Japan.
h. The を is just pronounced “O” It is called “wo” to differentiate it from the other “O.” Yes, there are two “o” sounds this one is a subject marker, and is not generally used in words, but rather at the end.

3. Dots and circles are sometimes written in the upper right of a letter, and represent an alternate pronunciation.
a.a. The “S” line can have the dashes, looking like this: ざじずぜぞand are pronounced “za, ji, zu, za, zo”
b.b. The “T” line can also be written with the dots and is: Pronounced だぢづでど “da, ji, zu, de, do.” ぢ isn’t used much. づ Is only directly after a つ, making it “tsuzu”
c. The “H” line can be written with dots or circles.
i. ばびぶべぼ Is pronounced “ba, bi, bu, be, bo.”
ii. ぱぴぷぺぽ Is ponounced “pa, pi, pu, pe, po.”

4. Extra u and I (a and o)
a. う and い can be added after another letter to make the vowel sound longer. If this is the case, the sound flows together and simply extends the sound’s duration, rather than sounding choppy, like two separate letters.
b. あ and お do the same thing, but aren’t used as often.

5. When a small つis placed after a letter, it creates a slight pause between that and the next letter. The same length of time is taken, but there is a brief silence. につき “ni.ki” meaning, “diary.” (It’s difficult to represent in print.)

6. Ya, yu, and yo can be written smaller after a letter and create a glide. This can be done with regular letters, or with dots and circles. A chart of all examples and pronunciations follows.

LESSON 1 Answer Key

Suffixes
~せんせい Teacher ~ (sensei)
~さん Mr./Mrs./Ms. ~ (san)

Passive Vocabulary
あおい blue (aoi)
あかい red (akai)
あさ morning (asa)
あし leg (ashi)
あたま head (atama)
あめ rain (ame)
いけ pond (ike)
いしゃ doctor (isha)
いす chair (isu)
いぬ dog (inu)
いもうと younger sister (imouto)
うち house, home (uchi)
うで arm ( ude)
うま horse (uma)
え picture (e)
えき station (eki)
えんぴつ pencil (enpitsu)
おおきい big, large (ookii)
おかあさん mother (okaasan)
おかし candy, confection (Okashi)
おじいさん grandfather (ojiisan)
おとうさん father (otousan)
おとうと younger brother (otouto)
おなか stomach (onaka)
おにいさん older brother (oniisan)
おねえさん older sister (oneesan)
おばあさん grandmother (obaasan)
かお face (kao)
かぎ key (kagi)
がくせい student (gakusei)
がつきmusical instrument (ga.ki)
がつこう school (ga,kou)
かぜ wind (kaze)
かばん bag (kaban)
からし mustard (karashi)
からだ body (karada)
かわ river (kawa)
き tree (ki)
きく chrysanthemum (kiku)
きつて stamp (ki.te)
きつぷ ticket (ki.pu)
ぎゅうにゅう milk (gyuunyuu)
きゅうり cucumber (kyuuri)
きょう today (kyou)
きんじょ neighborhood (kinjyo)
くすり medicine (kusuri)
くち mouth (kuchi)
くろい black (kuroi)
こうこう high school (koukou)
こうちゃ black tea (kouchya)
こおり ice (koori)
こつき national flag (ko.ki)
さけ sake, rice wine (sake)
さつか writer (sa.ka)
ざつし magazine (za.shi)
さとう sugar (satou)
さんぴゃく three hundred (sanpyaku)
しお salt (shio)
しつぽ tail (shi.po)
しゃしん photo (shashin)
しゃつくり hiccup (sha.kuri)
しゃつぱつ departure (sha.potsu)
しょうがつ New Year’s Day (shougatsu)
しょつき tableware (sho.ki)
しろい white (shiroi)
せかい world (sekai)
せつけん soap (se.ken)
せんせい Teacher (sensei)
そこ bottom (soko)
たかい high, expensive (takai)
たき waterfall (taki)
ちいさい small (shiisai)
ちず map (chizu)
ちょつかく right angle (cho.kaku)
つき moon (tsuki)
て hand (te)
でんしゃ train (denha)
てんぷら tempura (tenpura)
でんわ telephone (denwa)
とおり street (toori)
とけい clock, watch (tokei)
とり bird (tori)
ながい long (nagai)
にく meat (niku)
につき diary (ni.ki)
にほんご Japanese language (nihongo)
にんぎょう doll (ningyou)
ねこ cat (neko)
ねつとう boiling water (ne.tou)
のど throat (nodo)
はつぱ leaf (ha.pa)
はな nose, flower (hana)
はれ clear (weather) (hare)
ひくい low, flat (hekui)
ひげ beard (hige)
ひざ knee (hiza)
ひと person (hito)
ひゃく one hundred (hyaku)
びょうき sickness (byouki)
ひる afternoon (hiru)
ふうせん balloon (fuusen/huusen)
ふえ flute (fue/hue)
ほし star(hoshi)
みじかい short (mijikai)
みみ ear (mimi)
みょうじ last name (myouji)
むすめ daughter (musume)
め eye (me)
やま mountain (yama)
ゆき snow (yuki)
ゆび finger (yubi)
よる night (yoru)
りつぱな fine, magnificent (ri.pana)
りょう dormitory (ryou)
りょこう trip (ryokou)

Expressions
ありがとう Thank you (arigatou)
あれは にほんごで なんと いいますか What do you call that (over there) in Japanese? (arewa nihongode nanto iimasuka)
いつてください Please say/Repeat after me (i.tekudasai)
おおきいこえではなしてください Please speak loudly (ookii koede hanashitekudasai)
おはようございます Good morning (ohayou gozaimasu)
かいてください Please write (kaetekudasai)
きいてください Please listen (kiitekudasai)
これはにほんごでなんといいますか What do you call this in Japanese? (korewa nihongode nanto iimasuka)
こんばんは Good Evening/Hello (konbanwa)
こんにちは Good afternoon/Hello (konnichiwa)
さようなら Good-bye (sayounara)
しつれいします Good-bye (shitsureishimasu)
じゃあ, また See you later (jaa, mata)
すみません I am sorry/Excuse me (sumimasen)
それはにほんごでなんといいますか What do you call that in japanese? (sorewa nihongode nanto iimasuka)
~つてなんですか What does ~ mean? (.tenandeska)
どういたしまして You are welcome (douitashimashite)
はじめまして, ~です, どうぞよろしく How do you do? I am ~. Pleased to meet you (hajimemashite, ~desu, douzoyoroshiku)
~はにほんごでなんといいますか How do you say ~ in Japanese? (~wa nehongode nanto iimasuka)
みてください Please look at (mitekudasai)
もういちどいつてください Please say it again (mouichidoi.tekudasai)
ゆつくりいつてください Please say it slowly (yu.kuri i.tekudasai)
ゆつくりはなしてください Please speak slowly (yu.kuri hanashitekudasai)
よんでください Please read (yondekudasai)

LESSON 2 Practice With Answers

アイス ice (aisu)
アメリカ America (amerika)
イタリア Italy (itaria)
ウェイン Wayne, as in the name (uein)
オハイオ Ohio (ohaio)
スイス Switzerland (suisu)
セ-タ- sweater (seetaa)
センクスギビング Thanksgiving (senkusugibingu)
シ-サ- see-saw (shiisaa)
カナダ Canada (kanada)
ケ-キ cake (keeki)
テキスト Textbook (tekisuto)
テスト test (tesuto)
ハイヒ-ル high heels (haihiiru)
ホテル hotel (hoteru)
メクシコ Mexico (mekushiko)
ロシア Russia (roshia)