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Hiragana and katakana practice
Test yourself with a quick hiragana quiz: type the romaji or pick the answer. Add katakana when you're ready.
Hiragana and katakana quiz
Hiragana chart
Hiragana is the first Japanese script to learn: it writes Japanese words and grammar endings. Read each row left to right: か き く け こ is ka, ki, ku, ke, ko. For chart practice, cover the romaji and read each row out loud.
Basic hiragana (46)
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あa | いi | うu | えe | おo |
| かka | きki | くku | けke | こko |
| さsa | しshi | すsu | せse | そso |
| たta | ちchi | つtsu | てte | とto |
| なna | にni | ぬnu | ねne | のno |
| はha | ひhi | ふfu | へhe | ほho |
| まma | みmi | むmu | めme | もmo |
| やya | ゆyu | よyo | ||
| らra | りri | るru | れre | ろro |
| わwa | をwo | |||
| んn |
Dakuten: が, ざ, だ, ば, ぱ
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| がga | ぎgi | ぐgu | げge | ごgo |
| ざza | じji | ずzu | ぜze | ぞzo |
| だda | ぢji | づzu | でde | どdo |
| ばba | びbi | ぶbu | べbe | ぼbo |
| ぱpa | ぴpi | ぷpu | ぺpe | ぽpo |
Combinations with small ゃ ゅ ょ
| ya | yu | yo |
|---|---|---|
| きゃkya | きゅkyu | きょkyo |
| しゃsha | しゅshu | しょsho |
| ちゃcha | ちゅchu | ちょcho |
| にゃnya | にゅnyu | にょnyo |
| ひゃhya | ひゅhyu | ひょhyo |
| みゃmya | みゅmyu | みょmyo |
| りゃrya | りゅryu | りょryo |
| ぎゃgya | ぎゅgyu | ぎょgyo |
| じゃja | じゅju | じょjo |
| びゃbya | びゅbyu | びょbyo |
| ぴゃpya | ぴゅpyu | ぴょpyo |
Katakana chart
Katakana has the same sounds as hiragana with different shapes. It writes foreign words and names, like コーヒー (coffee) and アメリカ (America).
Basic katakana (46)
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| アa | イi | ウu | エe | オo |
| カka | キki | クku | ケke | コko |
| サsa | シshi | スsu | セse | ソso |
| タta | チchi | ツtsu | テte | トto |
| ナna | ニni | ヌnu | ネne | ノno |
| ハha | ヒhi | フfu | ヘhe | ホho |
| マma | ミmi | ムmu | メme | モmo |
| ヤya | ユyu | ヨyo | ||
| ラra | リri | ルru | レre | ロro |
| ワwa | ヲwo | |||
| ンn |
Dakuten: ガ, ザ, ダ, バ, パ
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ガga | ギgi | グgu | ゲge | ゴgo |
| ザza | ジji | ズzu | ゼze | ゾzo |
| ダda | ヂji | ヅzu | デde | ドdo |
| バba | ビbi | ブbu | ベbe | ボbo |
| パpa | ピpi | プpu | ペpe | ポpo |
Combinations with small ャ ュ ョ
| ya | yu | yo |
|---|---|---|
| キャkya | キュkyu | キョkyo |
| シャsha | シュshu | ショsho |
| チャcha | チュchu | チョcho |
| ニャnya | ニュnyu | ニョnyo |
| ヒャhya | ヒュhyu | ヒョhyo |
| ミャmya | ミュmyu | ミョmyo |
| リャrya | リュryu | リョryo |
| ギャgya | ギュgyu | ギョgyo |
| ジャja | ジュju | ジョjo |
| ビャbya | ビュbyu | ビョbyo |
| ピャpya | ピュpyu | ピョpyo |
How to learn hiragana and katakana
A few short sessions a day work better than one long one. A simple plan:
-
Learn one row at a time
Start with あ い う え お, then the か row, and say each character out loud. Add a new row only when the last one feels easy.
-
Test yourself without the chart
Take a short quiz every day. Typing the romaji makes you recall the sound; choosing from four answers is gentler while a row is still new.
-
Go back to the ones you miss
Some pairs look alike: さ / ち, ぬ / め, シ / ツ and ソ / ン. After each quiz, retry just the characters you got wrong.
-
Read real words early
Once you know the basic hiragana, read simple words like those in Minna no Nihongo lesson 1. Recognising characters inside words is what makes reading fast.
Questions
How long does it take to learn hiragana?
With 15 to 20 minutes of practice a day, many learners can read all 46 basic hiragana within one to two weeks. Katakana usually takes about as long again, and is quicker once you know hiragana.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Hiragana. Most of a Japanese sentence is written in hiragana, and textbooks like Minna no Nihongo use it from the first lesson. Learn katakana next, since it is used for foreign words and names.
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
They stand for the same sounds. Hiragana writes Japanese words and grammar, katakana writes words borrowed from other languages, foreign names and some emphasis.
What are the small ゃ, ゅ and ょ?
A small ゃ, ゅ or ょ after a character ending in i makes one combined sound: き + ゃ is きゃ (kya), し + ょ is しょ (sho). Turn on "Combinations" in the quiz to practise them.
Is this hiragana test free?
Yes. The quiz and charts are free and need no account. In the Neko Nihongo app you can also hear every character and keep your score for each one.
Ready for real words?
Practise kana with sound in the app, then start Minna no Nihongo lesson 1.