Japanese Hiragana: A Guide to the 50 Sounds of Kana16

Japanese hiragana is one of two phonetic writing systems used in the Japanese language, along with katakana. Hiragana is a syllabary, meaning that each character represents a single syllable. There are 50 hiragana characters, each of which corresponds to a different sound. Hiragana is used to write native Japanese words, as well as particles and other grammatical elements. It is also used to write foreign words that have been adapted into Japanese.

Hiragana characters are written in a cursive style, and they can be combined to form complex shapes. The order of strokes in a hiragana character is important, as it can affect the meaning of the character. Hiragana is relatively easy to learn, and it is a good starting point for anyone who wants to learn to read and write Japanese.## The 50 Hiragana Characters
The 50 hiragana characters are divided into two groups: the basic characters and the modified characters. The basic characters are the 46 characters that are used to write the vast majority of Japanese words. The modified characters are the 4 characters that are used to represent sounds that are not found in the basic characters.

Basic Characters
| Hiragana | Romaji | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| あ | a | ah |
| い | i | ee |
| う | u | oo |
| え | e | eh |
| お | o | oh |
| か | ka | kah |
| き | ki | kee |
| く | ku | koo |
| け | ke | keh |
| こ | ko | koh |
| さ | sa | sah |
| し | shi | shee |
| す | su | soo |
| せ | se | seh |
| そ | so | soh |
| た | ta | tah |
| ち | chi | chee |
| つ | tsu | tsoo |
| て | te | teh |
| と | to | toh |
| な | na | nah |
| に | ni | nee |
| ぬ | nu | noo |
| ね | ne | neh |
| の | no | noh |
| は | ha | hah |
| ひ | hi | hee |
| ふ | fu | foo |
| へ | he | heh |
| ほ | ho | hoh |
| ま | ma | mah |
| み | mi | mee |
| む | mu | moo |
| め | me | meh |
| も | mo | moh |
| や | ya | yah |
| ゆ | yu | yoo |
| よ | yo | yoh |
| ら | ra | rah |
| り | ri | ree |
| る | ru | roo |
| れ | re | reh |
| ろ | ro | roh |
| わ | wa | wah |
| を | o | oh |
| ん | n | nn |

Modified Characters
| Hiragana | Romaji | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| が | ga | gah |
| ぎ | gi | gee |
| ぐ | gu | goo |
| げ | ge | geh |
| ざ | za | zah |
| じ | ji | zee |
| ず | zu | zoo |
| ぜ | ze | zeh |
| ぞ | zo | zoh |
| だ | da | dah |
| ぢ | di | dee |
| づ | du | doo |
| で | de | deh |
| ど | do | doh |
| ば | ba | bah |
| び | bi | bee |
| ぶ | bu | boo |
| べ | be | beh |
| ぼ | bo | boh |
| ぱ | pa | pah |
| ぴ | pi | pee |
| ぷ | pu | poo |
| ぺ | pe | peh |
| ぽ | po | poh |
## Using Hiragana
Hiragana is used in a variety of ways in Japanese writing. It is used to write native Japanese words, as well as particles and other grammatical elements. It is also used to write foreign words that have been adapted into Japanese.

Native Japanese Words
Hiragana is used to write the vast majority of native Japanese words. These include words for objects, people, places, and ideas. For example, the word for "dog" is written as いぬ (inu).

Particles
Particles are grammatical elements that are used to connect words and phrases. They indicate the grammatical function of the words they are attached to. For example, the particle は (wa) is used to mark the subject of a sentence.

Other Grammatical Elements
Hiragana is also used to write other grammatical elements, such as conjunctions, interjections, and auxiliary verbs. For example, the conjunction と (to) is used to connect two words or phrases.

Foreign Words
Hiragana is used to write foreign words that have been adapted into Japanese. These words are usually written in katakana, but hiragana can be used if the word is more familiar to Japanese speakers. For example, the word "computer" is written as コンピュータ (konpyuuta).
## Learning Hiragana
Hiragana is relatively easy to learn, and it is a good starting point for anyone who wants to learn to read and write Japanese. There are a number of resources available to help you learn hiragana, including books, websites, and apps.
Here are some tips for learning hiragana:
* Start by learning the basic characters. These are the 46 characters that are used to write the vast majority of Japanese words.
* Once you have learned the basic characters, you can start learning the modified characters. These are the 4 characters that are used to represent sounds that are not found in the basic characters.
* Practice writing hiragana characters regularly. The best way to learn hiragana is to practice writing it as much as possible.
* Use hiragana in your everyday life. Try to use hiragana to write notes, messages, and emails. This will help you to become more familiar with the characters and how they are used.