N5Lesson 2 of 438 min
Hiragana: vowels, か and さ rows
The first fifteen characters: あいうえお, かきくけこ, さしすせそ.
Hiragana is laid out as a grid: five vowels across, consonant rows going down. Once you see the pattern, the 46 shapes stop being unrelated: they are 5 vowels and 9 consonants that combine predictably.
The first three rows
あ行: vowels
あअa
いइi
うउu
えएe
おओo
- う Lips stay flat, not rounded: between उ and ऊ, never puckered like English "oo".
か行: k
かकka
きकिki
くकुku
けकेke
こकोko
- か Sits between क and ख. A light puff is fine; a hard ख is too much.
さ行: s
さसsa
しशिshi
すसुsu
せसेse
そसोso
- し Always शि, never सि.
- す The उ is often nearly silent between consonants: です sounds like "des".
Words you can already read
- あい अइlove
- いえ इएhouse
- かさ कासाumbrella
- あか अकाred
- えき एकिstation
- すし सुशिsushi