What's the best way to learn Hiragana?

[haynes]

I am attenting Japanese language lessons (congrats to me!) but the exercises I got from the course is not sufficient at all. It just teaches how to write the characters and I can't read hiragana easily without looking at the hiragana table. Do you have any suggestions to learn it?

[cigarette]

Congrats on starting your Japanese language journey! Here are some tips and resources that can help you master Hiragana:

Flashcards: Making or using pre-made flashcards can be incredibly helpful. Apps like Anki or physical flashcards can aid in repetitive learning.
Writing Practice: Practice writing each character repeatedly. Try to write simple words once you get comfortable with individual characters.
Mnemonics: Use mnemonic devices to associate the shape of the Hiragana characters with sounds. For example, "あ" (a) can look like an "A" if you squint a bit. There are many resources online that offer mnemonic stories for each character.

Apps and Online Tools

Duolingo: Offers a good introductory course on Hiragana.
LingoDeer: Specifically designed for Asian languages, including Japanese.
Kana Town: A fun app focused on learning Hiragana and Katakana.
Hiragana Charts: Keep a Hiragana chart handy and try to recall characters without looking at the chart. Gradually wean yourself off using it.
Reading Practice: Start reading simple texts written in Hiragana, such as children's books or practice sheets. Websites like "Hiragana Times" have articles written with furigana (Hiragana above Kanji) that can be useful.
Games and Quizzes
Songs and Rhymes: There are various YouTube videos with songs that help you learn Hiragana. Music can be a great mnemonic aid.
Study Groups: Join a study group or find a language partner.
Consistency: Practice a little bit every day. Consistent short study sessions are more effective than cramming.

Here's a simple daily practice routine you can follow:

Warm-up (5 minutes): Review flashcards or look over a Hiragana chart.
Writing Practice (10 minutes): Write each character a few times, focusing on 5-10 characters per session.
Reading Practice (10 minutes): Read simple Hiragana words or sentences.
Listening Practice (5 minutes): Listen to Hiragana songs or watch videos.
Stick with it, and you'll find that Hiragana starts to stick in your memory faster than you think. 頑張って (ganbatte) – you got this!

[skidawgkc22]

I studied Japanese in college. Hiragana was THE first writing system I was taught.

We did it with exercises based on the sets of five for each consonant. So, we'd start with a, i, u, e, o, then go to ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, and so on. It just takes practice. Remember, with hiragana you're just focused on the different syllables.

Same will be true of katakana. Kan'ji is a whole different kettle of fish, but you will likely pick up at least 100 of them.

[normalice]

Flash cards. It is entirely phonetic so there isn't any association between them and real words. Perhaps start with the vowels - 5 cards - for 2 minutes. Then add one consonant and 30 seconds each day until your get them all. Don't forget to shuffle between rounds. Each day on your first pass remove the ones you are confident in and set them aside. Shuffle them back in for the last pass.

[jennifer_bloom]

I do not know if this applies to Japanese. But the easiest way for me to learn Hebrew is to read the interlinear bible written in Hebrew while listening to an audio recording of the Hebrew being read by a native speaker. Maybe you can memorize a famous document and watch an audio of it being written in Japanese. I also watch YouTube videos of Hebrew prayers to help me understand the letters more in their native language cause English transliterations do not foster dependency on foreign alphabets.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Hiragana takes memorization and practice. Duolingo has an option where you can learn to write hiragana and katakana and kanji on their japanese course that you can use to supplement your education if you like. Otherwise you’re going to look at the chart a lot until you know it as well as you know English, you’re learning 3 new alphabets for one language, it’s not going to be easy lol

[crossdressingrihno]

As far as written language goes i think hiragana is pretty easy once you know verbal Japanese.


If you know verbal Japanese, then you should start a journal in hiragana and add random Tongue twister to throw you off.


When you make the journal, don’t forget to read it.

[PeachyPie93]

Hiragana and katakana are the easiest part to learn I would suggest flash cards and writing out the sounds. I bought kids manga to translate to help me remember the letters.

[Cheapskate]

Go to Japan and get some job where you need it. Then you will have to learn fast.

[midnightmoon05]

It’s all through memorization…how I learned Chinese characters…

[Iron_Man]

There’s a Japanese user on the site that post a lot he can help you

[laly520]

lot of practice