Hiragana Lesson 1: A - Ko

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Using Hiragana

In this lesson I showed everyone how to write some of the Japanese “alphabet”. There are technically 4 “alphabets” in Japanese, but really only 2.

Hiragana, which is the major “alphabet”;
Katakana, which is the “alphabet” used to write words borrowed from other languages;
Kanji, which are borrowed characters from Chinese; and
Romaji, which are just the English letters that are used to write Japanese words.

Most Japanese textbooks start teaching the student words by using Romaji. This is because the English speaking student doesn't have to put much effort into making the transition between the sounds of Japanese to the letters being used; that is, the words look like they should be pronounced.

But that's lame. I want you guys off the Romaji-crutch IMMEDIATELY. You won't be able to use my website unless you learn Hiragana first. So get cracking.

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quizlet cards

The video below corresponds to the flashcards above!

Here are some examples of Hiragana and Romaji (I’m ignoring Katakana for now because we haven’t learned it yet):
あ あい かく かき あけ おおきい えく
These are all Hiragana. They are all Hiragana characters that I went over in the lesson. 

Here is how we would write them in Romaji:
A AI KAKU KAKI AKE OOKII EKU

BUT EVAN!!! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE CHARACTERS!!!
That's why I have the videos up there. Go watch it... OR DIE TRYING!!!

(1)Turn these Hiragana into Romaji (and read them out loud):

• あい
  
• あおい
• あかい
• いか
• いく
• おこ
• いき
  
• かく
• かい
• くい
• こい
• おか
• いあけ
• こうこう

(2)Turn these Romaji into Hiragana (and read them out loud):

• IKU
• AI
• KEO
• KOU
• UKI
• UKOKI
• IKI
  
• EKI
• E
• AU
• AO
• KAI
• IKIOKA
• KAOKU

*In both sections, some of those were real words. Don’t worry what they mean or which ones. Just know that you’re actually writing Japanese.

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Secret Answers!
1) AI; AOI; AKAI; IKA; IKU; OKO; IKI; KAKU; KAI; KUI; KOI; OKA; IAKE; KOUKOU

2)　いく　あい　けお　こう　うき　うこき　いき　えき　え　あう　あお　かい　いきおか　かおく