What is Hiragana?

Have you ever heard of the Japanese writing system? Hiragana is one of the three scripts used in Japan, and it is an essential part of learning how to read and write Japanese. It is a phonetic alphabet that consists of 46 basic characters, and each character represents one syllable. Learning hiragana can feel like a daunting task at first, but understanding the basics can help make it easier.

Explore the Fascinating World of Japanese Writing

Learning Hiragana is one of the most important steps to mastering Japanese! It’s the foundation for everything that comes after – understanding and using Japanese. While it can seem intimidating, there are a few easy ways to memorize the characters and master their use.

Memorizing Characters – Mnemonics

One way to learn hiragana is through mnemonics. Mnemonics are helpful tricks that help you remember information by connecting it with something else you already know. For example, if you want to remember that “ta” looks like a mountain, think of the phrase “mountain high, ta tall!”.

Tofugu’s Learn Hiragana: The Ultimate Guide is an amazing article that teaches hiragana with Mnemonics! This article is a lifesaver and one of the main reasons why I was able to memorize Hiragana at a fast pace!

Writing Hiragana – Practice and Repetition

Want to go old school on learning hiragana? Writing out hiragana also helps commit them to memory – practice makes perfect! Start with simple words and work your way up from there. The only cons to this method are it is a major time constraint compared to the method above and some would say it is pointless to learn how to write since texting is such a reliable source.

Here are a few available resources to help with practice and repetition!

• 3-in-1 Hiragana and Katakana Workbook
• Hiragana Writing Practice Notebook
• Learn Japanese for beginners

What are your thoughts on learning Hiragana by writing out the characters? Let me know in the comment section down below!

Amazing Japanese Textbooks that teach Hiragana

To learn Hiragana, there are two popular textbooks: Genki and Japanese From Zero

Genki is a comprehensive textbook series that provides an introduction to all aspects of the Japanese language, not just Hiragana. It covers vocabulary, grammar, culture and more in an easy-to-understand way for beginners. The books also come with audio recordings and online quizzes for further practice.

Japanese From Zero is another popular choice for learning Hiragana. This series uses an innovative approach with detailed lessons on how to read and write each character along with exercises for practice.

Japanese From Zero also has an amazing youtube channel that has videos to go along with the book series. Make sure to go check it out!

Conclusion

Learning Hiragana is not just a fun and rewarding experience, but also an important step in becoming proficient in the Japanese language. With the help of mnemonics, writing practice sheets, and other online tools, anyone can master the characters of Hiragana. After committing the basics to memory, work on honing your pronunciation and expanding your vocabulary. By taking it one step at a time, you’ll be able to make quick progress as you become more comfortable with this unique writing system.

That’s it for this article! Head over to the next step which is learning Katakana!

Make sure to join the newly created Discord and come talk about the Japanese language with me!