1.4 な (na) – ほ (ho)
In this module, we will focus on the hiragana characters な (na), に (ni), ぬ (nu), ね (ne) and の (no), along with は (ha), ひ (hi), ふ (fu ), へ (he) and ほ (ho).
1. な (na), に (ni), ぬ (nu), ね (ne), の (no)
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.
Here is an additional resource (about 4 minutes long) created by Tofugu, which shows you how to learn な, に, ぬ, ね and の using mnemonics.
For further exploration of mnemonic devices, visit this webpage by Tofugu.
2. は (ha), ひ (hi), ふ (fu), へ (he), ほ (ho)
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.
Note that ふ is represented as fu in this textbook, following the Hepburn system of romanisation. But you might also see it represented as hu in some places, depending on the romaji system used.
Here is a more extended resource (about 15 minutes long) created by Learn Japanese with Kobachan-tachi. In addition to a tutorial on learning は, ひ, ふ, へ and ほ using mnemonics, it provides revision games! In this additional resource, you will also learn more about the romanisation of ふ, which can be represented as either fu or hu, depending on the romaji system used.
Figures
1 “Exclamation Sign Icon” (untitled) by Dave Gandy. Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC by SA 3.0.
References
Tofugu. “Learn Hiragana Today #6: なにぬねの.” YouTube video, 3:53. September 9, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j6WNmF6-cg.
Learn Japanese with Kobachan-tachi. “[Hiragana] Learn Japanese – Hiragana H-Line はひふへほ in 15 Minutes.” YouTube video, 15:00. March 29, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOT0K2B3p98&t=9s&ab_channel=LearnJapanesewithKobachan-tachi.
