JLPT N5 Hiragana Chart – Complete Beginner Guide

🌸 Complete Guide to Hiragana (ひらがな) – Learn All 46 Characters Fast (JLPT N5)

If Japanese looks confusing right now, don’t worry — every learner starts here.

Hiragana (ひらがな) is the first and most important step in learning Japanese. Once you master these 46 characters, reading basic Japanese becomes much easier.

In this beginner guide, you’ll learn:

• ✅ What Hiragana is

• ✅ Why it’s important for JLPT N5

• ✅ All 46 basic characters with pronunciation

• ✅ Voiced sounds (Dakuten)

• ✅ Combination sounds (Yōon)

• ✅ Special reading rules

• ✅ How to memorize Hiragana fast

Let’s start 👇

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What is Hiragana?

Japanese has three writing systems:

• Hiragana (ひらがな)

• Katakana (カタカナ)

• Kanji (漢字)

Hiragana is used for:

• Grammar particles (は、を、に、で)

• Verb endings (たべます, のみます)

• Adjectives

• Native Japanese words

• Words without Kanji

👉 Without Hiragana, you cannot read basic Japanese sentences.

If you're preparing for JLPT N5, mastering Hiragana is non-negotiable.

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🔤 The 46 Basic Hiragana Characters

Japanese sounds follow a vowel pattern:

A – I – U – E – O

Once you understand this pattern, everything becomes easier.

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🌸 Step 1: The 5 Vowels

Hiragana	Sound
あ	a
い	i
う	u
え	e
お	o

🎯 Tip: Practice these first. They appear in almost every word.

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🌸 Step 2: The K Line

か (ka)
き (ki)
く (ku)
け (ke)
こ (ko)

Quick Practice 👇
How do you read this?
かき → kaki

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🌸 Step 3: The S Line

さ (sa)
し (shi)
す (su)
せ (se)
そ (so)

Important:
し is pronounced “shi”, not “si”.

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🌸 Step 4: The T Line

た (ta)
ち (chi)
つ (tsu)
て (te)
と (to)

Important exceptions:

• ち = chi

• つ = tsu

Mini Practice:
つき → tsuki (moon 🌙)

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🌸 Step 5: N Line

な に ぬ ね の
(na ni nu ne no)

Example:
ねこ → neko (cat 🐱)

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🌸 Step 6: H Line

は ひ ふ へ ほ
(ha hi fu he ho)

Note:
ふ sounds like soft “fu”, not “hoo”.

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🌸 Step 7: M Line

ま み む め も
(ma mi mu me mo)

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🌸 Step 8: Y Line

や ゆ よ
(ya yu yo)

There is no “yi” or “ye” in modern Japanese.

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🌸 Step 9: R Line

ら り る れ ろ
(ra ri ru re ro)

Japanese “R” sounds between R and L.

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🌸 Step 10: W Line

わ (wa)
を (wo → pronounced “o”)

Important:
を is mainly used as a grammar particle.

Example:
りんごをたべます
(ringo o tabemasu)

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🌸 Final Character

ん (n)

Example:
にほん (nihon) – Japan

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🔔 Voiced Sounds (Dakuten)

Adding two small lines (゛) changes the sound.

Example:
か → が

G Line

が ぎ ぐ げ ご

Z Line

ざ じ ず ぜ ぞ

D Line

だ ぢ づ で ど

B Line

ば び ぶ べ ぼ

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🔵 P Sound (Handakuten)

Adding a small circle (゜):

は → ぱ

ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ

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🌸 Combination Sounds (Yōon)

Small や (ゃ), ゆ (ゅ), よ (ょ) combine with other characters.

Example:
き + ゃ = きゃ (kya)

Common combinations:

きゃ きゅ きょ
しゃ しゅ しょ
ちゃ ちゅ ちょ
にゃ にゅ にょ
ひゃ ひゅ ひょ
みゃ みゅ みょ
りゃ りゅ りょ

These are very common in JLPT N5 vocabulary.

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✍️ Special Hiragana Rules You Must Know

1️⃣ Small っ (Double Consonant)

Small っ creates a pause.

Example:
がっこう (gakkou) – school
きって (kitte) – stamp

It makes the next consonant double.

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2️⃣ Long Vowel Sounds

Example:
おばあさん (obaasan)
きょう (kyou)

Long vowels change meaning, so pronunciation matters.

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🎯 Why Hiragana is Important for JLPT N5

Without Hiragana, you cannot:

• Read grammar

• Understand particles

• Read verb endings

• Write sentences

• Read beginner textbooks

It is the foundation of everything in Japanese.

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🚀 How to Memorize Hiragana Fast (Proven Method)

1. Learn 5 characters per day

2. Write each 10 times

3. Read simple words daily

4. Use flashcards

5. Test yourself every 3 days

Most students master Hiragana in 7–14 days with consistent practice.

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📌 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long does it take to learn Hiragana?

Most beginners learn it within 1–2 weeks with daily practice.

Is Hiragana enough for JLPT N5?

No. You also need Katakana and basic Kanji, but Hiragana is the first step.

Should I learn Hiragana or Katakana first?

Always start with Hiragana.

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🎉 Final Words

If you can read all 46 characters confidently, congratulations!
You’ve completed your first milestone in Japanese learning.

Next step: Start reading simple words and sentences daily.