Hiragana chart

Hiragana strokes are mostly curved, and some end in a small flick. The numbers mark where each stroke starts, in the order you write them on paper. Tap a kana in the chart to watch it drawn.

An illustrated memory hook for each of the 46 basic kana, and a word to read it in.

• 
  あa

  An apple's stem crosses the top while its peel spirals off in one long ribbon: that curl is あ.

  あめ ame: Rain

• 
  いi

  Two eels stand on their tails side by side, one tall and one short: the two strokes of い.

  いぬ inu: Dog

• 
  うu

  A steaming bowl of udon: steam ticks off the top, the bowl curves and hooks under into う.

  うみ umi: Sea

• 
  えe

  An escalator's steps zigzag up to a single rider's head at the top: those angled steps are え.

  えんぴつ enpitsu: Pencil

• 
  おo

  An olive on a toothpick, with a red pimento dot peeking out at the top right. That dot makes it お, not あ.

  おにぎり onigiri: Rice Ball

• 
  かka

  A car races down a road that hooks left, with a speed streak slashing across and a puff of exhaust off the top right: か.

  かさ kasa: Umbrella

• 
  きki

  An old key stands upright: two crossbars for the grip and a hooked tooth below. き has two bars, not さ's one.

  きもの kimono: Kimono

• 
  くku

  A cuckoo bursts from its clock, beak snapped wide open going 'ku-ku'. That sharp beak is く.

  くつ kutsu: Shoes

• 
  けke

  A kettle whistles: a tall jet of steam on the left, the handle and hooked spout on the right form け.

  けむり kemuri: Smoke

• 
  こko

  Two koi drift one above the other, their parallel bodies the two strokes of こ.

  こころ kokoro: Heart

• 
  さsa

  A sailboat: the mast crosses the top and one sail bellies out below. さ has one crossbar, not き's two.

  さくら sakura: Cherry Blossom

• 
  しshi

  A ship's anchor drops on its line and curves into one big hook at the bottom: upright, that's し.

  しお shio: Salt

• 
  すsu

  A curly straw dives into a tall soda and coils into a loop at the bottom: す.

  すし sushi: Sushi

• 
  せse

  A seedling, せ: a straight stem crossed by one broad leaf, rising from soil that curls up at the right.

  せんせい sensei: Teacher

• 
  そso

  A zigzag of thread being sewn, dropping into a curl at the end: そ.

  そら sora: Sky

• 
  たta

  A gift tag, た: crossed ribbon up on the left and a little folded card hooking off the lower right.

  たまご tamago: Egg

• 
  ちchi

  A knife rests across a wedge of cheese, its belly curling left. ち is the mirror image of さ.

  ちず chizu: Map

• 
  つtsu

  A single wave curls over from left to right, lying flat. That sideways hook is つ.

  つくえ tsukue: Desk

• 
  てte

  An old telephone hanging on its hook, て: a flat top, then a curved drop.

  てがみ tegami: Letter

• 
  とto

  A foot mid-step, と: the shin drops straight and the toe curls up, with a pebble stuck to the side.

  ともだち tomodachi: Friend

• 
  なna

  A rope tied in a knot, な: strands crossed up top and a small loop dangling from the lower right.

  なつ natsu: Summer

• 
  にni

  A bandaged knee, に: the shin on the left and two strips of bandage wrapped across on the right.

  にく niku: Meat

• 
  ぬnu

  Noodles twirled on chopsticks, ending in one extra loop: that loop makes it ぬ, not め.

  ぬの nuno: Cloth

• 
  ねne

  A bird's nest in a tree, ね: the trunk on the left and twigs coiling into a round loop on the right.

  ねこ neko: Cat

• 
  のno

  A bull's nose ring, の: one round loop with a little tail.

  のり nori: Seaweed

• 
  はha

  A straw hat on a stand, は: the pole on the left, the brim crossing it and the crown looping on the right.

  はな hana: Flower

• 
  ひhi

  The curved heel of a shoe, one smooth swoop: ひ.

  ひと hito: Person

• 
  ふfu

  A fountain, ふ: a droplet up top, the spout curving in the middle and a splash to each side.

  ふね fune: Ship

• 
  へhe

  A hen hunched over, its back a single low peak: へ.

  へや heya: Room

• 
  ほho

  Lay a roof-beam across the top of は and the hat becomes a house: ほ.

  ほし hoshi: Star

• 
  まma

  A ship's mast, ま: two spars cross the pole, and rope coils into a loop at its foot. ま ends in a loop, not も's hook.

  まつ matsu: Pine Tree

• 
  みmi

  A hand mirror, み: the round glass loops at the top and the handle crosses down.

  みず mizu: Water

• 
  むmu

  A cow goes 'muuu'. In む, the loop is its round body and the flick at the top right is its swishing tail.

  むし mushi: Insect

• 
  めme

  A medal on crossed ribbons: one clean loop and no extra curl. That makes it め, not ぬ.

  かめ kame: Turtle

• 
  もmo

  A mop stood on its head, も: the handle hooks at the floor, with two streaks of suds crossing it.

  もり mori: Forest

• 
  やya

  A ball of yarn with a knitting needle stuck through and a loose end flicking out: や.

  やま yama: Mountain

• 
  ゆyu

  A unicorn, ゆ: its round head loops and its horn slashes up through it.

  ゆき yuki: Snow

• 
  よyo

  A yo-yo on its string, よ: the string drops straight, the yo-yo loops at the bottom, and a short peg sticks out from the string.

  よる yoru: Night

• 
  らra

  A rabbit sits up, ら: a flick of ear at the top and its round back curving down.

  らくだ rakuda: Camel

• 
  りri

  Two ribbon streamers hang side by side, the left one cut short: り.

  りんご ringo: Apple

• 
  るru

  A root twists down and curls into a loop at its tip: that loop makes it る, not ろ.

  るす rusu: Absence

• 
  れre

  Someone leans back to rest, れ: a straight back and a leg kicking out to the right. れ ends in a kick, not ね's loop.

  れきし rekishi: History

• 
  ろro

  A winding road bends down and just ends, with no loop at the bottom. That makes it ろ, not る.

  ろうそく rousoku: Candle

• 
  わwa

  A water balloon on a string, わ: the string on the left and the round, open belly on the right.

  わた wata: Cotton

• 
  をwo

  A wok tosses food: the pan swoops round at the bottom and the food flips across the top. を is only ever a particle, spelled wo in romaji and said o.

  ほん を よむ hon wo yomu: Read a book

• 
  んn

  One swoop like a cursive n, tail flicking up: ん hums on its own and never starts a word.

  ほん hon: Book

• The free Yomikana courseAll 208 kana, one row per lesson
• Katakana chartAll katakana, extended sounds included, with a printable PDF.
• Free hiragana quizTest the 46 basics, dakuten or yōon, by tapping or typing.
• Dakuten, handakuten and small tsuHow two ticks and a circle change a kana, with a drill.
• The Japanese alphabetHiragana, katakana and kanji in one page.
• Hiragana vs katakanaWhat each script is for, and which to learn first.
• Hiragana and Katakana: A Beginner's GuideWhy Japanese needs both scripts
• Tell シ, ツ, ソ and ン apartHow to tell the four katakana look-alikes apart, with a drill.