Hiragana and katakana are actually the ABCs of Jap. They are probably the most elementary kinds of Jap characters and crucial portions of the Jap language. Finding out those two kinds of characters is steadily the first actual step to studying Jap, too.
Having the ability to learn hiragana and katakana is fantastic as a result of it is such an in an instant sensible ability. You spot them all over in Japan. The surroundings of Japan, and even your community Asian grocery retailer might begin to glance other as soon as you realize hiragana and katakana.
Fortunately, they are reasonably clean to grasp, too. No, you do not want a photographic reminiscence or superpower to memorize they all. All you wish to have is the correct means and equipment to review successfully and successfully.
There are 46 hiragana characters for hiragana and katakana respectively. Memorizing 92 characters with unfamiliar shapes would possibly sound intimidating now, however believe me. Folks have realized them in a pair weeks, a couple of days, and even a couple of hours with those efficient strategies.
If you wish to find out about hiragana and katakana reasonably briefly, and not put out of your mind them, you may have come to the correct position. I’m going to speak about how you’ll do it, and introduce one of the crucial very best kana studying assets you’ll use for a a success kana studying enjoy.
How To Be told Hiragana & Katakana
First, let me pass throughout the 3 key issues for a success kana studying.
1. Use reminiscence hints aka “mnemonics”
Reminiscence hints, aka mnemonics, are in truth the sport changer in remembering overseas characters like hiragana, katakana, or even kanji. The use of mnemonics, you’ll simply affiliate the form of kana with the studying.
Curious how mnemonics if truth be told paintings? Here is an instance to keep in mind hiragana “ki” (き). This one is lovely easy. Simply call to mind a key! 🔑

Remembering a number of unfamiliar shapes sounds attainable, proper? Mnemonics make issues clean to keep in mind, recall, and now not put out of your mind. It truly is an impressive instrument for kana studying.
2. Prioritize “studying” over “writing”
Focal point on studying first. No longer writing. I do know, it isn’t the standard means kids be told their characters. However, studying to learn is extra essential as the most typical type of “writing” at the present time is typing. (If you’ll learn kana, you’ll sort them.)
Having the ability to handwrite hiragana from reminiscence is a brilliant ability to have too, but it surely takes much more time to grasp and has fewer real-life advantages. I like to recommend you reserve it for later. Handwriting or tracing over the characters together with your palms can also be a good way to spend time gazing the shapes intently, however at all times take note the “studying” precedence reasonably than having the ability to handwrite out of your reminiscence. No less than, for now.
3. Follow recalling
As soon as you familiarize yourself with the kana, apply studying many times. Be sure you evaluate pieces you may have realized and stick with it. And whilst you evaluate, focal point to your recall. The extra effort you place into recalling one thing, the more potent reminiscence your mind will finally end up construction.
The Highest Sources for Finding out Hiragana/Katakana
So now that we’ve got talked in regards to the 3 key issues for a success kana studying, you’ll be considering, “What equipment can I exploit to be informed hiragana and katakana?”
I were given you — I put in combination a listing of one of the crucial very best kana studying assets. They, in fact, have small variations, however all of them function mnemonics and studying apply, which can be the important thing issues for a success kana studying.
Useful resource | Layout | Execs & Cons |
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Tofugu’s Be told Hiragana/Katakana Books | PDF books |
👍 Unfastened! 👍 High quality mnemonics 👍 Bonus handwriting workout routines that can assist you affiliate the form with the studying 👍 Different Tofugu kana studying assets are to be had 👎 No audio (despite the fact that the internet web page variations do have audio) |
HIRAGANA/KATAKANA Reminiscence Trace | iOS/Android Apps |
👍 Unfastened! 👎 Best provides more than one selection quizzes 👎 Glitchy — some options (like audio play) would possibly not paintings |
Be told Languages with Dr. Moku | iOS/Android Apps |
👍 Animated mnemonic illustrations and audio studying aloud mnemonics 👎 In-app acquire is needed for the entire protection of kana |
Hiragana/Katakana in 1 Hour – Easy methods to Write and Learn Jap | YouTube Video Courses |
👍 Unfastened! 👎 Being a video lesson, it is exhausting to navigate and reference a particular kana |
Now, let’s take a more in-depth take a look at every useful resource.
Tofugu’s Be told Hiragana/Katakana Books

Prior to the rest, let me speak about Tofugu’s personal merchandise — our Be told Hiragana/Katakana Guide sequence. This can be a shameless plug as I’m very happy with all of the novices who effectively realized kana with our books and proved them to be efficient. They are additionally to be had at no cost, so not anything to lose in the event you give them a take a look at.
Tofugu’s Be told Hiragana/Katakana Guide sequence is composed of 2 PDF workbooks, so you’ll print or use them to your instrument offline. The workbooks duvet the whole lot you wish to have to learn about hiragana and katakana. You’ll be able to learn to pronounce, and the way to keep in mind every personality with mnemonics and writing apply sheets. There also are studying apply workout routines that can assist you evaluate what you may have simply realized by way of filling in romaji. The quiz makes use of precise phrases created from the characters you may have realized, making a rewarding second that confidently makes you pass “Woah, I will be able to learn Jap phrases!” and motivates you to stay going.
Greater than the rest, without equal focal point of our content material is the standard of mnemonics. We’ve got been updating and bettering our mnemonics ever since we first revealed them, and that’s the reason what makes our kana content material particular. As an example, to provide an explanation for the pronunciation of every kana, we use an English phrase that makes use of the similar or very same sound in order that you realize precisely tips on how to pronounce it. And, when conceivable, we use the English key phrase for mnemonics too. As an example, the hiragana い sounds identical to “e” as in “eel.” And that can assist you affiliate the sound and the form of the characters, we use the similar key phrase “eel,” and say い seems like two eels placing out. Every other not unusual mnemonic for い is that it seems like the quantity eleven as in 11 (which, it completely does!) however we select “eels” for the extra correct pronunciation. We consider that studying kana may be about studying the sounds of the Jap language and the fundamentals of Jap pronunciation, so we are hoping the ones key phrases let you take into account the proper pronunciation.
We additionally stay our mnemonic artwork easy in some way that makes it clean to peer the unique form of the nature. No longer many mnemonics available in the market have this high quality, and it is occasionally exhausting to acknowledge the unique form within the mnemonic artwork.
If you’re on the lookout for a one-stop resolution for kana studying, you will not be disillusioned with Tofugu’s Be told Hiragana/Katakana Books.
Layout | PDF Workbooks |
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For individuals who need so that you can concentrate to the pronunciation of every kana…
now we have internet web page variations too — Be told Hiragana: The Final Information and Be told Katakana: The Final Information. Whilst those do not include writing sheets, you’ll play the audio, which is at all times an advantage.
So there you will have it. We if truth be told have extra kana studying equipment in quite a lot of codecs and for various functions, so take a look at the checklist underneath to seek out one thing that fits your desire and wishes. You’ll mix’n’match too — they are all loose!
- Internet Pages
They arrive with audio so you’ll pay attention how every personality is pronounced. - YouTube Video Courses
- Mnemonic Charts
A handy guide a rough reference chart of our mnemonics. - Quiz/Evaluate
HIRAGANA/KATAKANA Reminiscence Trace
Be told Languages with Dr. Moku (Hiragana & Katakana)
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Product Hyperlink | Dr. Moku |
Be told ALL Hiragana/Katakana in 1 Hour – Easy methods to Write and Learn Jap (JapanesePod101.com)
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For Further Quiz Follow and Critiques
The assets that I have mentioned thus far are all one-stop answers that let you take into account kana with mnemonics and evaluate and apply via quizzes. As I have discussed, kana is all over. Whenever you get started finding out different sides of the Jap language, you can see them continuously. So in some way, you can be naturally reinforcing your kana wisdom transferring ahead. That mentioned, you will want to first apply so much and you should definitely solidify your kana wisdom.
You’ll get some apply in with the assets above, however I additionally sought after to introduce you to a few different equipment in particular designed to quiz your kana wisdom for added apply. One standout function is they help you if truth be told sort in romaji for the kana readings as a substitute of simply providing you more than one selection solutions. This implies they’re a greater review of your true kana wisdom, and will let you determine what kana you may well be suffering to keep in mind.
Tofugu’s Be told Kana Quiz

That is every other shameless plug (ok ok, I promise this would be the final).
Tofugu’s Be told Kana Quiz is a internet app initially designed to be a quiz instrument that can assist you solidify the kana wisdom from our kana merchandise, such because the workbooks and internet pages I offered previous. Then again, it might be a really perfect spouse for truly any more or less kana-learning useful resource as what it does is help you apply no matter kana you need, as time and again as you need. It additionally lets you determine the characters you continue to have a difficult time with.
How it works is unassuming. At the major web page, you get to make a choice the kana you need to apply by way of column (a suite of 3 to 5 characters). You’ll test all hiragana or all katakana with a unmarried button too, if you are already conversant in all of the kana indexed.
Right through the quiz, you can be caused with a suite of the chosen hiragana characters and requested to sort within the readings for every one. You’ll select to skip pieces so you’ll save those you will have a difficult time recalling and circle again on the ones later. We consider the act of recalling is essential, so in contrast to every other quiz equipment, we if truth be told would possibly not inform you the proper resolution even whilst you get issues unsuitable. (We deliberately make it exhausting to cheat, and it is all for you!) Then again, you’ll take a look at answering the similar merchandise till you sort in the correct resolution so you’ll check your recall over and over again.
Then, whilst you end a consultation, the consequences display you what number of failed makes an attempt you had with the characters you could not resolution as it should be on the first pass. This may occasionally let you determine what kana characters don’t seem to be nonetheless sticking on your reminiscence so you’ll do something positive about them — revisiting the mnemonics, inventing new mnemonics, or tracing the characters — no matter you gotta do to in the end take into account them!
Layout | Internet App |
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Product Hyperlink | Tofugu’s Be told Kana Quiz |
Actual Kana

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Product Hyperlink | Actual Kana |
So that is it! Hope you discovered one thing that you need to present a take a look at on this article. Once more, having the ability to learn kana is a large first step, and it isn’t as exhausting as you assume. I am hoping the strategies and assets that I mentioned will provide you with a really perfect head get started to your Jap studying adventure! Satisfied Kana Finding out!