N5Lesson 3 of 438 min
Hiragana: た, な and は rows
Fifteen more characters, including the two Japanese sounds that trip everyone up: つ and ふ.
These three rows contain the sounds romaji handles worst. Take them slowly. Getting つ and ふ right now is far easier than fixing them later.
The rows
た行: t
たतta
ちचिchi
つत्सुtsu
てतेte
とतोto
- た Dental त, tongue on the teeth. Never retroflex ट. This is the most common mistake English speakers make.
- ち Always चि, never ति.
- つ One sound, not two. Like the त्स ending of "वत्स", followed by a flat उ.
な行: n
なनna
にनिni
ぬनुnu
ねनेne
のनोno
- な Dental न, not ण.
は行: h
はहha
ひहिhi
ふफुfu
へहेhe
ほहोho
- は As a grammar particle this is read わ (व). See the particles lesson.
- ふ Blown between both lips, not lip-on-teeth. Softer than English "f", lighter than फ.
- へ As a particle this is read え (ए).
つ: one sound, not two
Romaji writes it "tsu", which makes it look like t + s + u. It is one sound: the त्स cluster you already say at the end of वत्स, followed by a flat उ. Say वत्स out loud, then drop the वा. What is left is つ.
ふ: neither h nor f
Blow gently between both lips, as if you were cooling a cup of tea. Your top teeth never touch your bottom lip, so it comes out softer than English "f" and lighter than Hindi फ.
Practice words
- ねこ नेकोcat
- いぬ इनुdog
- つき त्सुकिmoon
- ふね फुनेboat
- はな हानाflower / nose
- ちかてつ चिकातेत्सुsubway