Hiragana part 1: あ–な rows

What you'll learn

The first five rows of hiragana (25 characters) and the five vowel sounds that every Japanese syllable is built on.

The five vowels

あ (a) · い (i) · う (u) · え (e) · お (o) — short and clear, like "ah, ee, oo, eh, oh".

Rows in this lesson

• あ row: あ い う え お
• か row: か き く け こ
• さ row: さ し す せ そ (note: し = shi)
• た row: た ち つ て と (note: ち = chi, つ = tsu)
• な row: な に ぬ ね の

Practice

1. Write each row five times, saying it aloud.
2. Read these words: あい (love), いえ (house), かさ (umbrella), ねこ (cat), すし (sushi).
3. Use the hiragana chart on this site and tap each character to check your pronunciation.

Tip

Learn one row a day and review the previous rows before starting a new one.