Unit 1 - Section 3: Hiragana - な行・は行
Hiragana - な行・は行
Continue learning hiragana with the な (NA) and は (HA) rows. These characters are essential for many common Japanese words.
な行 (NA Row)
| Hiragana | Romaji | Pronunciation | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| な | na | na (like "nah") | Looks like a knot |
| に | ni | ni (like "knee") | Looks like a knee bent |
| ぬ | nu | nu (like "new") | Looks like noodles |
| ね | ne | ne (like "nay") | Looks like a cat's tail (ね＝cat sound in Japanese) |
| の | no | no (like "no") | Looks like a "NO" sign (circle with line) |
は行 (HA Row)
| Hiragana | Romaji | Pronunciation | Memory Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| は | ha | ha (like "hah") | Looks like a hut with smoke coming out |
| ひ | hi | hi (like "he") | Looks like someone smiling and saying "hi" |
| ふ | fu | fu (like "who") | Looks like Mount Fuji |
| へ | he | he (like "hey") | Looks like heaven's gate |
| ほ | ho | ho (like "hoe") | Looks like someone waving (saying hello) |
Important Note:
When は (ha) is used as a particle (topic marker), it's pronounced as "wa". Example: わたしは (watashi wa)
Common Words Using These Characters
な行 words:
なに (なん)
nani (nan)
Meaning: what
なまえ
namae
Meaning: name
ねこ
neko
Meaning: cat
犬
inu
Meaning: dog
は行 words:
はな
hana
Meaning: flower / nose
ひと
hito
Meaning: person
ふね
fune
Meaning: ship / boat
本
hon
Meaning: book
Practice Combinations
Try reading these words that combine characters you've learned so far:
あに
ani - older brother
いぬ
inu - dog
はな
hana - flower
きのう
kinou - yesterday
なつ
natsu - summer
ひかり
hikari - light
きんようび
kinyoubi - Friday
にほん
nihon - Japan
ほし
hoshi - star
Study Tips
- の (no): Very common particle meaning "of" or possessive - わたしの本 (my book)
- に (ni): Important particle for location and time - 学校に行く (go to school)
- は (ha/wa): Remember it's pronounced "wa" when used as a particle
- ふ (fu): Note it's "fu" not "hu" - this is unique to Japanese
- Practice: Write each character 15 times while saying it aloud