Japanese Learning - Hiragana

Hiragana - ひらがな

There are 5 vowels in the Japanese language:

(a), pronounced "ahh", (i), pronounced like "e" in "eat", (u), pronounced like "oo" in "soon", (e), pronounced like "e" in "elk", and (o), pronounced "oh". All Hiragana characters end with one of these vowels, with the exception of (n). The only "consonant" that does not resemble that of English is the Japanese "r". It is slightly "rolled" as if it were a combination of a "d", "r", and "l".

あ a い i う u え e お o

か ka き ki く ku け ke こ ko


が ga ぎ gi ぐ gu げ ge ご go

さ sa し shi す su せ se そ so

ざ za じ ji ず zu ぜze ぞ zo

た ta ち chi つ tsu て te と to

だ da ぢ ji づ zu で de ど do

な na に ni ぬ nu ね ne の no

は ha ひ hi ふ fu へ he ほ ho

ば ba び bi ぶ bu べ be ぼ bo

ぱ pa ぴ pi ぷ pu ぺ pe ぽ po

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/m


Combinations
きゃ kya きゅ kyu きょ kyo

ぎゃ gya ぎゅ gyu ぎょ gyo

しゃ sha しゅ shu しょ sho

じゃ ja じゅ ju じょ jo

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

びゃ bya びゅ byu びょ byo

ぴゃ pya ぴゅ pyu ぴょ pyo

みゃ mya みゅ myu みょ myo

りゃ rya りゅ ryu りょ


Exceptions:
1. は (ha) is pronounced "wa" when it immediately follows the topic of the sentence. It is usually only pronounced "ha" when it is part of a word.
2. へ (he) is pronounced "e" when it immediately follows a place or direction. Both of these are very simple to detect.

Note: You probably noticed that there are 2 "zu" and 2 "ji". づ (zu) and ぢ (ji) are very rarely used. づ (zu) only occurs when there is a つ (tsu) in front of it like in つづく (tsuzuku - to continue) or when a Kanji (Chinese character) that starts with つ (tsu) is paired at the end with another character changing the つ (tsu) to a づ (zu). The same applies for ぢ (ji). Since they are used so rarely I wouldn't worry about them too much. I will let you know whenever we come upon a word in which they are used.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
Because I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.