Meguro Language Center
＿
Roma-ji, Hiragana and Katakana
K
S
T
N
H
M
Y
R
W
-
a
ka
sa
ta
na
ha
ma
ya
ra
wa
n,m
A
あ
か
さ
た
な
は
ま
や
ら
わ
ん
ア
i
kｉ
shｉ
chｉ
nｉ
hｉ
mｉ
I
い
き
し
ち
に
ひ
み
ri
り
イ
u
ku
su
tsu
nu
fu
mu
yu
ru
U
う
く
す
つ
ぬ
ふ
む
ゆ
る
e
ke
se
te
ne
he
me
E
え
け
せ
て
ね
へ
め
re
れ
ワ
ン
o
ko
so
to
no
ho
mo
yo
ro
o
O
お
こ
そ
と
の
ほ
も
よ
ろ
を
“n” before b, m and p becomes “m” wichi is pronounced like “m” in “sample”.
Ｇ
Ｚ
Ｄ
Ｂ
P
ga
za
da
ba
pa
が
ざ
だ
ば
ぱ
kya
sha
cha
nya
hya
mya
rya
gya
ja
bya
pya
gi
ji
ji
bｉ
pｉ
きゃ
しゃ
ちゃ
にゃ
ひゃ
みゃ
りゃ
ぎゃ
じゃ
びゃ
ぴゃ
n
m
ぎ
じ
ぢ
び
ぴ
gu
zu
zu
bu
pu
kyu
shu
chu
nyu
hyu
myu
ryu
gyu
ju
byu
pyu
ぐ
ず
づ
ぶ
ぷ
ge
ze
de
be
pe
きゅ
しゅ
ちゅ
にゅ
ひゅ
みゅ
りゅ
ぎゅ
じゅ
びゅ
ぴゅ
Foreign words representation by Katakana
she
che
je
tsa
ァ tse
tso
fa
ァ fi
ィ fe
fo
ti
ィ dhi
ィ dyu
wi
ィ we
wo
va
ヴァ vi
ヴィ ve
ヴ
vo
2
げ
ぜ
で
べ
ぺ
kyo
sho
cho
nyo
hyo
myo
ryo
gyo
jo
byo
pyo
go
zo
do
bo
po
きょ
しょ
ちょ
にょ
ひょ
みょ
りょ
ぎょ
じょ
びょ
ぴょ
quo
ヴ
ご
ぞ
ど
ぼ
ぽ
ヲ
Meguro Language Center
Printing
②
a
あ あ
①
③
①
②
i
い い
u
う う
①
②
①
②
e
え え
o
お お
ka
か か
ki
き き
② ③
①
②
③
①
③
①
②
①
ku
く く
あ あ あ あ あ
い い い い い
う う う う う
え え え え え
お お お お お
か か か か か
き き き き き
く く く く く
ke
け け
け け け け け
ko
こ こ
こ こ こ こ こ
①
①
②
②
③
[QUIZ] Write the following words in hiragana.
1. aka (red)
5. ie (house)
2. ao (blue)
6. kaki (oyster)
3. aki (autumn)
7. okii (big)
4. eki (station)
8. ue (on top)
＿
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Meguro Language Center
②
sa
さ さ
①
①
shi
し し
su
す す
se
so
さ さ さ さ さ
す す す す す
③②
せ せ
せ せ せ せ せ
そ そ
そ そ そ そ そ
①
①
→き き
し し し し し
②
①
Simillar
Hiragana
そ OK
[QUIZ]
1. asa (morning)
3. shio (salt)
2. osushi (o-sushi)
4. osake (sake)
すし
②
た た た た た
ta
た た
chi
ち ち
ち ち ち ち ち
tsu
つ つ
つ つ つ つ つ
te
て て
て て て て て
to
と と
と と と と と
①
③
④
②
①
①
①
①
②
[QUIZ]
1. ashita (tomorrow)
3. tokei (watch)
2. chikatetsu (subway)
4. kutsu (shoes)
4
→さ さ
Meguro Language Center
na
②
③
④
な な
①
① ②
ni
に に
→た
に に に に に
③
①②
ぬ ぬ ぬ ぬ ぬ
①
ね ね ね ね ね
nu
ぬ ぬ
ne
ね ね
②
①
no
な な な な な
の の
の の の の の
[QUIZ]
1. kono neko (this cat)
3. sono inu (that dog)
2. nani (what)
4. niku (meat)
ha
*wa
は は
は は は は は
hi
ひ ひ
ひ ひ ひ ひ ひ
fu
ふ ふ
ふ ふ ふ ふ ふ
he
へ へ
へ へ へ へ へ
ho
ほ ほ
[QUIZ]
① ②③
①
①
② ④
③
→け
①
①
②④
ほ ほ ほ ほ ほ
③
→けは
■ Note that the particle WA is represented by は, the E is represented by へ．
1. fune (ship)
3. hito (people)
2. hoshi (star)
4. hako (box)
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Meguro Language Center
③
ma
ま ま
①
②
①
mi
み み
mu
む む
②
②
①
③
① ②
me
め め
mo
も も
①
②
③
ま ま ま ま ま
み み み み み
む む む む む
め め め め め
→ぬ
も も も も も
→ま
[QUIZ]
1. ame (rain)
3. mushi (insect)
2. namae (name)
4. Moshi moshi (Hello)
③ ②
ya
や や
①
① ②
yu
ゆ ゆ
②
yo
よ よ
①
や や や や や
ゆ ゆ ゆ ゆ ゆ
よ よ よ よ よ
[QUIZ]
1. yasumi (day off)
3. fuyu (winter)
2. yuki (snow)
―
―
■ Note that u and o are represented by adding う.
＿
＿
1. yumei (famous)
3. kino (yesterday)
＿
＿
2. yofuku (Western clothes)
＿
4. kuko (airport)
6
→ま
Meguro Language Center
①
②
ら ら
ra
① ②
り り
ri
る る
re
れ れ
①
り り り り り
→い
れ れ れ れ れ
→ね
①
ろ ろ ろ ろ ろ
→る
①
わ わ わ わ わ
→ねれ
②
ろ ろ
ro
→ち
る る る る る
①
ru
ら ら ら ら ら
wa
わ わ
o
を を
②
①
particle
②
③
①
ん ん ん ん ん
ん ん
n, m
を を を を を
[QUIZ]
■ Note that the particle O is represented by を, not お．
1. kore (this)
5. kuro (black)
2. sore (that)
6. kuruma (car)
＿
3. Sayonara (Goodbye)
7. watashi (I)
4. hon (book)
8. Sumimasen (I’m sorry.)
[QUIZ] Similar characters (Write the following characters in hiragana.)
a/o
ki/sa
chi/ra
ta/na
me/nu
i/ri
ma/mo
ru/ro
ke/ha/ho
wa/re/ne
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Meguro Language Center
ga
gi
gu
ge
go
が
ぎ
ぐ
げ
ご
が
ぎ
ぐ
げ
ご
が
ぎ
ぐ
げ
ご
[QUIZ]
1. mado (window)
2. mada (not yet)
3. sugoi (great)
za
ji
zu
ze
zo
ざ
じ
ず
ぜ
ぞ
ざ
じ
ず
ぜ
ぞ
ざ
じ
ず
ぜ
ぞ
＿
4. Arigatogozaimasu. (Thank you.)
5. denwa (telephone)
6. Komban wa.
da
ji
zu
de
do
だ
ぢ
づ
で
ど
だ
ぢ
づ
で
ど
particle
だ
ぢ
づ
で
ど
7. shimbun (newspaper)
8. tomodachi (friend)
＿
9. ginko (bank)
ba
bi
bu
be
bo
ば
び
ぶ
べ
ぼ
ば
び
ぶ
べ
ぼ
ば
び
ぶ
べ
ぼ
pa
pi
pu
pe
po
ぱ
ぴ
ぷ
ぺ
ぽ
ぱ
ぴ
ぷ
ぺ
ぽ
ぱ
ぴ
ぷ
ぺ
ぽ
10. chizu (map)
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Meguro Language Center
kya
kyu
kyo
きゃ
きゅ
きょ
きゃ
きゅ
きょ
gya
gyu
gyo
ぎゃ
ぎゅ
ぎょ
ぎゃ
ぎゅ
ぎょ
sha
shu
sho
しゃ
しゅ
しょ
しゃ
しゅ
しょ
ja
ju
jo
じゃ
じゅ
じょ
じゃ
じゅ
じょ
cha
chu
cho
ちゃ
ちゅ
ちょ
ちゃ
ちゅ
ちょ
nya
nyu
nyo
にゃ
にゅ
にょ
にゃ
にゅ
にょ
hya
hyu
hyo
ひゃ
ひゅ
ひょ
ひゃ
ひゅ
ひょ
bya
byu
byo
びゃ
びゅ
びょ
びゃ
びゅ
びょ
pya
pyu
pyo
ぴゃ
ぴゅ
ぴょ
ぴゃ
ぴゅ
ぴょ
mya
myu
myo
みゃ
みゅ
みょ
みゃ
みゅ
みょ
rya
ryu
ryo
りゃ
りゅ
りょ
りゃ
りゅ
りょ
[QUIZ]
＿
＿
1. Tokyo
＿
＿
4. shumatsu (weekend)
2. jusho (address)
5. shashin (photo)
3. Ja, mata. (See you.)
6. shukudai (homework)
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Meguro Language Center
The rules in Hiragana
(1) Long vowels
＿
① a is represented by adding あ.
＿
＿
＿
okasan (mother) おかあさん、 mama (so-so)
＿
② ii and i are represented by adding い.
＿
oniisan (older brother) おにいさん、 ojiisan/oj i san (grandfather)
＿
③ u is represented by adding う.
＿
＿
yugata (early evening) ゆうがた、 chugoku (China)
＿
taifu (typhoon)
＿
④ e is represented by adding え in the words of Japanese origin.
＿
onesan (older sister) おねえさん
⑤ ei is written in えい in the words of Chinese origin.
＿
Eigo (English) えいご、 yumei (famous)
sensei (teacher)
、 gakusei (student)
＿
⑥ o is represented by adding う.
＿
＿
＿
sayonara さようなら、 byoin (hospital)
＿
、 kyo (today)
＿
Domo arigatogozaimasu.
⑦ Ｉn some words it is traditionally written in お.
＿
＿
＿
oki おおきい、 to (ten)
、 tori (street)
(2) Double consonants
Double consonants (kk, pp, ss, and tt) are represented by small っ. As small っ indicates
a one-syllable pause, the mouth prepares for the pronunciation of the next syllable.
＿
gakko (school) がっこう、 kippu (ticket)
、 kitte (stamp)
Chotto matte kudasai. (Just moment, please.)
Gambatte kudasai. (Go for it. Good luck.)
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Meguro Language Center
(3) ji and zu are usually written in じ and ず. In few cases, they are traditionally written in
ぢ and づ.
sanji (3:00)
、 jisho (dictionary)
chizu (map)
、 mizu (water)
(4) wa using as a particle is written in は, not わ.
＿
＿
Kyo wa doyobi desu. (Today is Saturday.) きょうは どようびです。
Watashi wa nihonjin desu. (I’m Japanese.)
Watashi wa nihonjin dewa arimasen. (I’m not Japanese.)
(5) o using as a particle is written in を, not お.
Osake o nomimasu. (I drink sake.) おさけを のみます。
Sore o misete kudasai. (Please show me that.)
Kore o kudasai. (Please give me this one.)
(6) e using as a particle is written in へ, not え.
Shibuya e ikimasu. (I’m going to Shibuya.) しぶやへ いきます。
Doko e ikimasuka. (Where are you going?)
＿
＿
Kyoto e ikimasu. (I’m going to Kyoto.)
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