The hiragana chart below covers all 46 basic Japanese characters — the complete hiragana alphabet every beginner needs first. Each card shows the hiragana with romaji so you always know the pronunciation. Tap any character to hear it spoken in natural Japanese.
ひらがなHiragana Table
Tap any character to hear its pronunciation
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|
Japanese has 5 vowels (a · i · u · e · o). Each row adds one consonant. 46 characters = complete basic syllabary.
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What Is Hiragana?
Hiragana is the first writing system every Japanese learner masters. It is a phonetic alphabet — each character represents one sound, not a meaning. The complete basic set has exactly 46 characters, organized into rows called gojūon (五十音), meaning “fifty sounds.”
How to Read the Table
Japanese has 5 vowels: a · i · u · e · o — these form the top row (あいうえお). Every other row adds a consonant in front of those same vowels. For example, the K row gives you ka · ki · ku · ke · ko (かきくけこ). That pattern repeats all the way to ん (n), the only standalone consonant.
3 Tips to Learn Hiragana Fast
- Learn one row per day. Five characters a day means you finish the full chart in under two weeks.
- Say it out loud every time. Use the audio button above — hearing and speaking together builds memory 3× faster than reading alone.
- Use the romaji as a guide, not a crutch. Once a character feels familiar, hide the romaji using the toggle above and test yourself.
Can You Learn Hiragana in a Week?
Honestly? Yes. 46 characters sounds like a lot but it really is not. Split it into rows — 5 characters a day — and you are done in 9 days. The trick is not memorizing harder, it is repeating little and often. Come back to this table every morning, tap through a row, say each one out loud. One week later you will be reading hiragana without even thinking about it.