ひらがな

Hiragana

Whether you're just starting to learn Japanese or you have been studying for a while, you'll quickly find that it is crucial to be able to quickly read the characters from the language's most-used script: Hiragana.

Especially if you're just beginning your Japanese journey, we recommend starting with our Reading and Writing in Japanese series to learn more about how Hiragana functions and how it differs from the English alphabet you're reading this in right now.

Once you have the basics down, see below for some resources that will help you to memorize Hiragana characters and practice their writing, sourced from Japanese learning site ちびむすドリル.

Hiragana Chart

Here you can find a chart showing the entire set of Hiragana characters. The characters are laid out on the chart according to the 五十音 (gojyuuon, fifty sounds) order, which means that each column corresponding to the 子音 (shiin, consonant) that begins each character's syllable and each row corresponding to the 母音 (boin, vowel) that ends each character's syllable. You can read more about the 五十音 in the second lesson of our Reading and Writing in Japanese lesson series.

Hiragana Tracing Worksheets

Here you can find a worksheet packet that will teach you how to write each Hiragana character with the correct stroke order. This is known as a なぞり書き (nazorigaki, tracing) worksheet, and this particular worksheet is sourced from a Japanese elementary school.

Hiragana Practice Worksheets

Here you can find another set of worksheets from a Japanese elementary school used to practice Hiragana writing using real Japanese words. Across the examples in the worksheets, you can practice writing each Hiragana character in context, and maybe even learn some new words in the process.