1.2 あ (a) – こ (ko)

This module will guide you through the essentials of reading hiragana characters. We will focus on the 10 of the 46 basic hiragana characters: あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e) and お (o), as well as か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke) and こ (ko).

The five vowel sounds of hiragana—あ (a, as in ‘uh’), い (i, as in ‘see’), う (u, as in ‘food’), え (e, as in ‘met’) and お (o, as in ‘note’)—are essential. Remember to pronounce them crisply and briefly. They pair with consonants like ‘k’, ‘s’, ‘t’, ‘n’, ‘h’, ‘m’, ‘y’, ‘r’ and ‘w’ forming the basis of the hiragana script. This combination of sounds is vital for mastering the reading and pronunciation of Japanese.

1. あ (a), い (i), う (u),  え (e),  お (o)

Practice saying each character slowly at first, then increase the speed. After that, challenge yourself to pronounce all five characters smoothly in one go, as if in a single breath.


For a focused exploration of the Japanese vowel sounds あ, い, う, え and お, Module 2.1 offers comprehensive guidance and is a great resource.

 

 

Are you a visual learner? Then you may find mnemonics useful.

But what exactly is mnemonics?

Mnemonics  is a learning strategy that assists in the process of memorisation and recall. It can take the form of images, songs, rhymes or other creative strategies.

To learn the 46 basic hiragana characters, you can also refer to this resource (about 3 minutes long) created by Tofugu. It shows how mnemonics can be used to learn あ, い, う, え and お:

The characters か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke) and こ (ko) are our next focus.

 

2. か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke), こ (ko)

Again, practice saying each character slowly at first, then increase the speed. After that, challenge yourself to pronounce all five characters smoothly in one go, as if in a single breath.

For a deeper dive into Japanese consonant pronunciation, Module 2.1 is highly recommended. It provides comprehensive insights and practical examples to help you master the sounds effectively.

 

Here is an additional resource (about 3 minutes long) created by Tofugu, which shows you how to learn か, き, く, け and こ using mnemonics:

References

Tofugu. “Learn Hiragana Today #2: あいうえお.” YouTube video, 3:29. August 12, 2014.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJdwOpJwpYg.

———. “Learn Hiragana Today #3: かきくけこ.” YouTube video, 3:20. August 12, 2104. https://youtu.be/gLPzqSkIH58?si=BrpKE0GPTeWUNCLt.

 

 

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Japanese Introductory 1 Copyright © 2024 by Iori Hamada is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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