N5Chapter 01

Introduction & ひらがな (Hiragana)

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the three Japanese writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.
  • Read and write the 46 base Hiragana characters.
  • Master voiced marks (Dakuten and Handakuten) and combined sounds (Yōon).
  • Learn foundational vocabulary and start recognizing Japanese sounds.
N5 Context

Japanese may seem daunting at first with its three distinct writing systems, but it is one of the most logically structured languages in the world. Hiragana is your starting line. It represents every sound in the language and forms the grammatical skeleton of every sentence. Once you master these 46 characters, you can read and write anything in Japanese!

1. The Three Writing Systems

Before diving into Hiragana, it is important to understand how Japanese is written. A single sentence often uses all three systems together:

  1. Hiragana (ひらがな): Used for native Japanese words and grammar particles. It is curvy and soft.
  2. Katakana (カタカナ): Used for foreign loanwords and names. It is angular and sharp.
  3. Kanji (漢字): Symbols borrowed from Chinese that represent concepts/meanings.
Example

あき は きれいです。

Aki wa kirei desu.

Autumn is beautiful.

Written entirely in Hiragana.
Example

コーヒー を のみます。

Kōhī o nomimasu.

I drink coffee.

Combines Katakana (コーヒー) and Hiragana (を、のみます).
Example

日本 に いきます。

Nihon ni ikimasu.

I am going to Japan.

Combines Kanji (日本) and Hiragana (に、いきます).

2. The 46 Base Characters

Japanese is composed of 5 pure vowels and 41 consonant-vowel combinations. The chart below is the standard “A-I-U-E-O” order used in dictionaries.

a (あ)i (い)u (う)e (え)o (お)
Base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/Nわ
wa		を
wo		ん
n
Example

あおい うみ

Aoi umi

Blue sea

Uses characters from the Vowel and M rows.
Example

すし を たべます。

Sushi o tabemasu.

I eat sushi.

Note: を is pronounced 'o' when used as a particle.
Example

さくら は きれいです。

Sakura wa kirei desu.

Cherry blossoms are beautiful.

Note: は is pronounced 'wa' when used as a particle.

3. Voiced Marks (Dakuten & Handakuten)

By adding two small dots called Dakuten (゛) or a small circle Handakuten (゜) to specific rows, you create new sounds.

Grammar Point
k → g, s → z, t → d, h → b / h → p
MeaningVoicing shifts the sound of the consonant.
Formation:
Character + ゛(Dakuten) OR ゜(Handakuten)
Examples (3)
Example

か (ka) ＋ ゛ ＝ が (ga)

ka -> ga

Unvoiced 'k' becomes voiced 'g'

Example

さ (sa) ＋ ゛ ＝ ざ (za)

sa -> za

Unvoiced 's' becomes voiced 'z'

Example

は (ha) ＋ ゜ ＝ ぱ (pa)

ha -> pa

Unvoiced 'h' becomes a popped 'p'

4. Combinations (Yōon)

When a character from the “i” column (ki, shi, chi, ni, hi, mi, ri) is followed by a small ya (ゃ), yu (ゅ), or yo (ょ), the sounds blend together into a single syllable.

Example

おちゃ を のみます。

Ocha o nomimasu.

I drink green tea.

ち (chi) + ゃ (small ya) = ちゃ (cha).
Example

きゅうしゅう は にほん の しま です。

Kyuushuu wa Nihon no shima desu.

Kyushu is a Japanese island.

き (ki) + ゅ (small yu) = きゅ (kyu).
Example

きょう は あついです。

Kyou wa atsui desu.

Today is hot.

き (ki) + ょ (small yo) = きょ (kyo).

5. Cultural Note: The Origins of Hiragana

Hiragana was developed in the 9th century by simplifying the cursive forms of Chinese characters. For a long time, it was known as onnade (女手) or “woman’s hand” because it was primarily used by women in the imperial court to write poetry and literature, while men used Kanji for official documents. The world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji, was written using Hiragana! Today, it is used by everyone and is valued for its fluid, aesthetic beauty.

Practical Conversations

Identifying Things
Student

これ は なん です か。

Kore wa nan desu ka.

What is this?

Teacher

これ は 「すし」 です。

Kore wa 'sushi' desu.

This is 'sushi'.

Student

あ！ 「す」 と 「し」 です ね。

A! 'Su' to 'shi' desu ne.

Ah! It's 'su' and 'shi', right?

Teacher

はい、そうです。

Hai, sou desu.

Yes, that's right.
Talking About Weather
A

きょう は あつい です ね。

Kyou wa atsui desu ne.

Today is hot, isn't it?

B

はい。かぜ が ありません。

Hai. Kaze ga arimasen.

Yes. There is no wind.

A

おちゃ を のみます か。

Ocha o nomimasu ka.

Will you drink some tea?

B

はい、ありがとうございます。

Hai, arigatou gozaimasu.

Yes, thank you very much.

Chapter Summary

Key Takeaways
  • 1Hiragana is the foundational writing system representing all 46 basic sounds.
  • 2Japanese uses three systems: Hiragana (native), Katakana (foreign), and Kanji (meaning).
  • 3Dakuten (゛) and Handakuten (゜) modify consonants to create sounds like G, Z, D, B, and P.
  • 4Combined sounds (Yōon) are formed by adding a small ya, yu, or yo to 'i' column characters.
  • 5Proper stroke order is essential for legible and balanced Japanese writing.

Knowledge Check

Test your mastery of Hiragana!

Practice Quiz
🧩

Quiz

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Which writing system is used for native Japanese words and grammar?