YukigoHiragana: the complete chart
Hiragana is the first of the two Japanese syllabaries: it is used for native Japanese words, grammatical particles and verb endings. It's where every Japanese learner starts.
There are 46 base characters, arranged in a grid (gojūon) that crosses the five vowels with the consonants. Each cell shows the kana and its romaji reading.
The 46 base hiragana (gojūon)
Dakuten and handakuten
Two marks change the sound of some kana: the dakuten ( ゛) voices the consonant (か ka → が ga), the handakuten ( ゜) turns the H row into P (は ha → ぱ pa).
Combinations (yōon)
An I-column kana followed by a small ゃ, ゅ or ょ forms a single sound: き + ゃ = きゃ kya. There are 33 combinations in total.
How to memorize hiragana
Study them row by row, writing them by hand in the correct stroke order and reviewing them at growing intervals — the fastest way to make them stick. Yukigo guides you exactly like that, with finger tracing, audio and spaced repetition, free and ad-free.
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Frequently asked questions
How many hiragana are there?
46 base characters; with dakuten and handakuten that becomes 71, plus 33 combinations (yōon).
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Hiragana: you need them immediately for particles and word endings. Katakana come naturally right after — the structure is identical.
How long does it take to learn them?
With 15–20 minutes a day of writing and spaced review, you can read them all within one or two weeks.
What are hiragana used for?
Native Japanese words, grammatical particles, verb endings and furigana (the small readings written above kanji).
Looking for the other syllabary? Katakana chart →