【lesson 1】 How to pronounce HIRAGANA 【にほんご for beginner】

がくしゅうもくひょう Learning objectives

Learning how to pronounce all the letters in Hiragana.

ひらがなのしゅるい Types of hiragana

ひらがなは　たんたいで　よめる　もじが　よんじゅうろくしゅるいと、くみあわせて　はじめて　よめる　もじが　きゅうしゅるい　あります。

平仮名は単体で読める文字が46種類と、組み合わせて初めて発音できる文字が9種類あります。

There are 46 hiragana characters that can be read by themselves and 9 characters that can only be pronounced in combination.

くみあわせて　はじめて　はつおんできる　ひらがなの　もじは、ふつうの　ひらがなよりも　ちいさく　かきます。　

組み合わせて初めて発音できる平仮名の文字は、普通の平仮名よりも小さく書きます。

Hiragana letters that can only be pronounced in combination should be written smaller than normal hiragana letters.

おとのこうせい　Sound Composition

ひらがなの　おとは　きほんてきに　しいんと　ぼいんの　ひとつずつの　おとで　つくられています。

Hiragana sounds are basically composed of one consonant and one vowel each.

type１：ぼいんのみのひらがな　Vowel-only hiragana

	consonant	vowel
あ	–	a
い	–	i
う	–	u
え	–	e
お	–	o

Let’s learn the new words.

Could you say the Japanese words that begin with the first letter “あ”?

type2：consonant “K” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “K” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
か	k	a
き	k	i
く	k	u
け	k	e
こ	k	o

type3：consonant “S” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “S” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
さ	s	a
し	s	i
す	s	u
せ	s	e
そ	s	o

type4：consonant “T” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “T” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
た	t	a
ち	t (ch)	i
つ	t	u
て	t	e
と	t	o

type5：consonant “N” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “N” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
な	n	a
に	n	i
ぬ	n	u
ね	n	e
の	n	o

type6：consonant “H” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “H” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
は	h	a
ひ	h	i
ふ	h	u
へ	h	e
ほ	h	o

type7：consonant “M” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “M” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
ま	m	a
み	m	i
む	m	u
め	m	e
も	m	o

type8：consonant “Y” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “Y” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
や	y	a
–	–	–
ゆ	y	u
–	–	–
よ	y	o

type9：consonant “R” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “R” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
ら	r	a
り	r	i
る	r	u
れ	r	e
ろ	r	o

type10：consonant “W” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “W” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
わ	w	a
うぃ	w	i
	–	u
うぇ	w	e
を	w	o

The “うぃ” sound is pronounced like the “wi” in “window”.

The “うぇ” sound is pronounced like the “we” in “Wendy’s”.

type11：consonant “G” + vowel hiragana

Adding the consonant “G” to the vowel sounds like this…

	consonant	vowel
が	g	a
ぎ	g	i
ぐ	g	u
げ	g	e
ご	g	o

type12：consonant “Z” + vowel hiragana

	consonant	vowel
ざ	z	a
じ	z	i
ず	z	u
ぜ	z	e
ぞ	z	o

type13：consonant “D” + vowel hiragana

	consonant	vowel
だ	d	a
ぢ	d	i
づ	d	u
で	d	e
ど	d	o

type14：consonant “B” + vowel hiragana

	consonant	vowel
ば	b	a
び	b	i
ぶ	b	u
べ	b	e
ぼ	b	o

sometime you might see “ゔぁ / ゔぃ / ゔ / ゔぇ / ゔぉ (consonant “V” + vowel)

It pronounces almost same as ” consonant “B” + vowel hiragana “

type14：consonant “P” + vowel hiragana

	consonant	vowel
ぱ	p	a
ぴ	p	i
ぷ	p	u
ぺ	p	e
ぽ	p	o

type15：consonant “J” + vowel hiragana

	consonant	vowel
じゃ	j	a
じ	j	i
じゅ	j	u
じぇ	j	e
じょ	j	o

irregular 1 : consonant “N” without vowel

	consonant	vowel
ん	n	–
–	–	–
–	–	–
–	–	–
–	–	–

irregular 2 : consonant “K” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”K”	consonant”Y”	vowel
きゃ	k	y	a
–	–	–	i
きゅ	k	y	u
–	–	–	e
きょ	k	y	o

irregular 3 : consonant “S” + “Y or H” + vowel

	consonant”S”	consonant”Y or H”	vowel
しゃ	s	y (h)	a
–	–	–	i
しゅ	s	y(h)	u
しぇ	s	y(h)	e
しょ	s	y(h)	o

irregular 4 : consonant “T” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”T”	consonant”Y”	vowel
ちゃ	t	y	a
–	–	–	i
ちゅ	t	y	u
ちぇ	t	y	e
ちょ	t	y	o

irregular 5 : consonant “N” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”N”	consonant”Y”	vowel
にゃ	n	y	a
–	–	–	i
にゅ	n	y	u
–	–	–	e
にょ	n	y	o

irregular 6 : consonant “H” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”H”	consonant”Y”	vowel
ひゃ	h	y	a
–	–	–	i
ひゅ	h	y	u
–	–	–	e
ひょ	h	y	o

irregular 7 : consonant “M” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”M”	consonant”Y”	vowel
みゃ	m	y	a
–	–	–	i
みゅ	m	y	u
–	–	–	e
みょ	m	y	o

irregular 8 : consonant “R” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”R”	consonant”Y”	vowel
りゃ	r	y	a
–	–	–	i
りゅ	r	y	u
–	–	–	e
りょ	r	y	o

irregular 9 : consonant “G” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”G”	consonant”Y”	vowel
ぎゃ	g	y	a
–	–	–	i
ぎゅ	g	y	u
–	–	–	e
ぎょ	g	y	o

irregular 10 : consonant “B” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”B”	consonant”Y”	vowel
びゃ	b	y	a
–	–	–	i
びゅ	b	y	u
–	–	–	e
びょ	b	y	o

irregular 11 : consonant “P” + “Y” + vowel

	consonant”P”	consonant”Y”	vowel
ぴゃ	p	y	a
–	–	–	i
ぴゅ	p	y	u
–	–	–	e
ぴょ	p	y	o