Unit 1 - Section 1: Hiragana - あ行・か行

Practice Quiz

Hiragana - あ Row / か Row

Hiragana has 46 basic characters in the usual gojūon chart (including ん). This section starts with the あ row and the か row. Cover the romaji, say each sound, then write the row from memory.

あ Row (Vowels)
Kana Romaji Pronunciation Memory Hint
あ a ah Resembles the cursive form of the Chinese character 安
い i ee Resembles a simplified form of the Chinese character 以
う u oo Resembles part of the Chinese character 宇
え e eh Resembles a variation of the Chinese character 衣
お o oh Resembles the cursive form of the Chinese character 於
か Row (KA Row)
Kana Romaji Pronunciation Memory Hint
か ka kah Resembles the left part of the Chinese character 加
き ki kee Resembles the shape of a key
く ku koo Resembles a crying mouth
け ke keh Resembles the right side of the Chinese character 计
こ ko koh Looks like two parallel lines

Writing Practice

Stroke Order is Important! Japanese hiragana have fixed stroke orders. Following the correct stroke order helps you write faster and more neatly.
Stroke Order for あ
  1. Write the horizontal-vertical line on the left from top to bottom
  2. Write the short diagonal line in the middle
  3. Finally, write the curved line on the right
Stroke Order for か
  1. First write the horizontal-vertical line on the left
  2. Write the vertical line in the middle
  3. Finally, write the short line on the right

Simple Words

Now that we've learned hiragana, we can spell some simple words:

あい
ai
love
あお
ao
blue
あか
aka
red
いえ
ie
house
かお
kao
face
き
ki
tree

Study Tips

Secrets to Learning Hiragana:
  • Practice 15-20 minutes daily; this is more effective than studying for long periods at once
  • Keep a practice notebook and write repeatedly
  • Create flashcards with hiragana on one side and romanization on the other
  • Try to spell simple words using what you've learned
  • Don't rush to progress too quickly; it's important to build a solid foundation
Recommended Study Order
  1. First learn to recognize (see hiragana and read aloud)
  2. Then practice writing (correctly write out hiragana)
  3. Finally, practice dictation (listen to pronunciation and write the hiragana)

Ready to continue?

Once you master the あ row and か row, you’ve learned 10 hiragana! Keep going!