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Read Japanese, beautifully.

N5

Hiragana I: あ to こ

About 10 minutes · written and reviewed by Haruki Yamamoto

Section 1 of 3

Start with the vowel row

The five vowel kana are the foundation for the whole chart. Read them aloud in a steady rhythm until the shapes and sounds feel automatic. Do not worry about speed first. Aim for clean sound and confident recognition.

  1. Target signal

    あ い う え お

    a i u e o

    These are the five basic vowel kana.

    Vocabulary notes
    あ
    ah; oh

  2. Compare in context

    あお

    blue

    Read the whole word in Japanese sounds first, then connect it to the meaning.

    Vocabulary notes
    あお
    blue
    あ
    ah; oh

  3. Compare in context

    いえ

    house

    This word uses only the vowel row, so it is a good first decoding check.

    Vocabulary notes
    いえ
    house

Section 2 of 3

Add the か row

Once the vowels feel stable, add the か row. Notice that the new shapes still combine with the same five vowel sounds: ka, ki, ku, ke, ko. Reading the row in order helps you feel the pattern instead of memorizing isolated symbols.

  1. Target signal

    か き く け こ

    ka ki ku ke ko

    This is the か row.

    Vocabulary notes
    か
    question marker; or

  2. Preview

    あき

    autumn

    This word combines the vowel row and the か row.

    Vocabulary notes
    あき
    autumn
    あ
    ah; oh

  3. Preview

    えき

    station

    えき is short, common, and useful for checking whether き is automatic yet.

    Vocabulary notes
    えき
    station

Section 3 of 3

Read short words without switching back to romaji

Now mix the kana you know into short words. Your goal is smooth decoding. Try to recognize the shape block by block instead of sounding out every kana separately forever.

  1. Target signal

    こえ

    voice

    こ + え gives a short, readable two-kana word.

    Vocabulary notes
    こえ
    voice

  2. Preview

    かお

    face

    Keep reading in Japanese order and let the sound come first.

    Vocabulary notes
    かお
    face
    か
    question marker; or

  3. Preview

    あか

    red

    This word is short enough to repeat several times until it feels instant.

    Vocabulary notes
    あか
    red
    あ
    ah; oh
    か
    question marker; or

Reading in context

Read for meaning before checking the answer

Before you read

Read once for the situation. Then notice how Hiragana I: あ to こ changes the meaning before you check the translation.

あ い う え お あお いえ か き く け こ あき えき こえ かお あか もう一度読みましょう。もう一度読みましょう。もう一度読みましょう。もう一度読み

Show English translation

a i u e o blue house ka ki ku ke ko autumn station voice face red

Contextual questions

Answer from the passage before you reveal each explanation.

  1. What is the first reading job for this passage?

    • Identify the situation and how Hiragana I: あ to こ changes it.
    • Translate every word before using context.
    • Ignore the ending because only vocabulary matters.
    • Choose an answer before reading the full passage.
    Check the answer

    Identify the situation and how Hiragana I: あ to こ changes it.

    The goal is to use the situation first, then confirm the role of Hiragana I: あ to こ in context.

Guided practice

Apply the lesson in a few different ways

Work through each prompt, then check the explanation before moving on.

Activity 1 of 4Choose the best context

Which row contains the k sounds in hiragana?

Activity 2 of 4Fill the blank

Complete the chunk that carries the lesson meaning (Hiragana I: あ to こ).

＿＿＿ い う え お

Activity 3 of 4Put it in order

Put these related examples back into the order used in the lesson.

  1. 1あお
  2. 2いえ
  3. 3あ い う え お
Activity 4 of 4Infer from the passage

What should guide your interpretation of Hiragana I: あ to こ in the mini-reading?

Mastery check 1/4

Which row contains the k sounds in hiragana?