Hiragana Course
Learn Hiragana fast and easy!
Free online self-study program for learning how to read, write and
type the Japanese Hiragana alphabet
Course Outline
Free online study program produced by an experienced native Japanese language teacher.
Suitable for the very first step of learning the Japanese language.
Goal
This course will assist you to gain the following abilities;
Also, more than 500 commonly used words and phrases are introduced through the course.
Structure
The course consists of 10 lessons.
Each lesson takes 45-90 minutes.
| Hiragana Letters | |
|---|---|
| Lesson 1 | あ い う え お (gojūon), ああ いい うう ええ おお (long vowels) |
| Lesson 2 | か き く け こ (gojūon), が ぎ ぐ げ ご (dakuon) |
| Lesson 3 | さ し す せ そ (gojūon), ざ じ ず ぜ ぞ (dakuon) |
| Lesson 4 | た ち つ て と (gojūon), だ ぢ づ で ど (dakuon) |
| Lesson 5 | な に ぬ ね の (gojūon), っ (sokuon) |
| Lesson 6 | は ひ ふ へ ほ (gojūon), ば び ぶ べ ぼ (dakuon), ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ (han-dakuon) |
| Lesson 7 | ま み む め も (gojūon), は へ (particles) |
| Lesson 8 | や ゆ よ (gojūon), ゃ ゅ ょ (yōon) |
| Lesson 9 | ら り る れ ろ (gojūon) |
| Lesson 10 | わ を ん (gojūon) |
Lesson Contents
Each lesson consists of three sections - Reading, Writing and Typing.
Reading
Correct shape and sound are introduced through video contents.
Full of voice recordings narrated by Japanese voice actors.
Writing
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Look closely how lines are crossed. Line 2 is slightly curved. Start Line 3 at the right place. |
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Detailed handwriting instructions.
Specially developed original font is used to show the standard shape of letters.
Printable writing practice sheets (PDF) are provided.
Typing
| Hiragana | な | に | ぬ | ね | の |
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| Keystrokes |  |
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Detailed instructions on how to input Hiragana letters on personal computers.
Printable keystrokes chart (PDF) is provided.
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Different styles of commonly used fonts are introduced.
Quiz
In each section, quiz programs are provided in the form of YouTube video.
You can easily access them through any device such as personal computers, tablets and smartphones.
Click the thumbnail to watch sample videos.
How to Study
Practice Makes Perfect
Read instructions quickly and spend most of your time for Quiz programs.
Repeat them till you can answer most questions easily.
You don't have to memorize word meanings - it is not the purpose of this course. It would be enough if you get some feeling of how words are pronounced.
Curriculum Options
If you plan to study, work or live in Japan, we recommend to study all three sections.
Writing and Typing sections can be skipped if you don't need these skills.
If you are in hurry, do Quiz A (basic) only and skip Quiz B (advanced).
Preparation
Before you start, we recommend to read the following pages briefly.
- Hiragana - introduction of Hiragana character
- Study Guide - information on how to learn the Japanese language
Go to Lesson 1. Enjoy!
