Hiragana for Beginners by Ryan Yust

HIRAGANA FOR BEGINNERS By: Ryan Yust

PREFACE

â&#x2C6;? AUTHOR PAGE Hello! My name is Ryan Yust and I am studying Japanese Secondary Education at Indiana University. I have been studying Japanese for three years now and decided I would create this book to help everyone with their learning. It can be used with any age group beginning Japanese. I originally struggled with pronunciation, so I made sure to include it in my book. Enjoy! I hope it helps you improve and keeps you interested in the Japanese language.

Table of Contents Page 1: Author Page Page 2: Table of Contents Page 3: Book Guide Page 4: Hiragana Importance, Stroke Order, Stroke Count, Sound Changes Page 5: a-o characters Page 6: ka-ko characters Page 7: sa-so characters Page 8: ta-to characters Page 9: na-no characters Page 10: Character Quiz Page 11: ha-ho characters Page 12: ra-ro characters Page 13: ya. yu, yo, wa, wo, n characters Page 14: Character Quiz Page 15: Resources Page 16: What is inside

HOW TO

â&#x2C6;? BOOK GUIDE Click on the hiragana images to see the correct stroke order and line movement. Click the audio icon to hear the characters in order by lines from left to right for the correct pronunciation. The examples are all words that begin with the specific character. At the end of the book, you should be able to say all of the words contained within the examples. Quizzes are commonly multiple choice, but instruction will be provided for each. Do not be afraid to go back and review the material. Try to have a good grasp on each of the sets before you proceed to the next. All image and video resources are included at the end of the book.

Stroke Count & Sound Changes

What is Hiragana & the Importance of Stroke Order

Stroke count is the number of strokes it takes to complete a character and is important in determining when and where the pencil needs to be picked up, so the character has the correct proportions and looks correct when written. If the stroke count is not followed then characters can be mistaken or turn out wrong in various, small aspects. The quotation marks (dakuten) or circles (handakuten) found over certain characters denote a change in the pronunciation of the character. The only character that are affected are the k, s, t, and h. The k characters (ka-ko) change to ga, gi, gu, ge, go with dakuten. The s characters (sa-so) change to za, ji, zu, ze, zo with dakuten. The t characters (ta-to) change to da, ji, zu, de, do with dakuten. The h characters (haho) change to ba, bi, bu, be, bo with hakuten and pa, pi, pu, pe, po with handakuten. Small tsu (つ) symbols

The hiragana alphabet is used by the Japanese to write native Japanese words. Katakana is used for foreign words and kanji are simply characters to illustrate ideas, they can consist of multiple hiragana characters. Hiragana is important because it is the most commonly used alphabet when writing in the Japanese alphabet, so it is important that students understand the basic before moving onto new lessons. Stroke order is an extremely important aspect of Japanese writing because characters may look disproportioned or incorrect because the proper stroke order was not followed. It will be especially important in creating kanji because characters could look extremely disproportioned and just wrong if the proper stroke order is not followed. It is also important when trying to quickly write a note because the reader could interpret the character as long as the stroke order is followed, It is important that you get into the habit now, so that later on down the road you will not run into problems because of bad habits.

denote a repeated character, so かっこいい would have the pronunciation kakkoii. There are small ya (や) yu(ゆ) yo (よ) characters after characters that end in i

which denote the i should be dropped and combined with the precursory character (kya, kyu, kyo, sha, shu, sho, cha, chu, cho, nya, nyu, nyo, hya, hyu, hyo, mya, myu, myo, rya, ryu, ryo, gya, gyu, gyo, ja, ju, jo, bya, byu, byo, pya, pyu, pyo).

Movie 2.1 a (3 strokes)

Movie 2.3 i (2 strokes)

Examples: ありがとう、あそこ、

Examples: いいえ、いき、いちが

あたま、あさごはん、ある

つ、いそがしい、いぬ

Movie 2.5 u (2 strokes)

Examples: うち、うた、うみ、うそをつく、うんてんする

Movie 2.4 o (3 strokes)

Movie 2.2 e (2 strokes) Audio 2.1 a-o

Examples: えいが、えいご、え

Examples: おいしい、おかね、

き、えんぴつ

おきる、おそい、おてら、おちゃ

Movie 2.6 ka, ga (3 strokes)

Examples: かう、かんじ、かぞく、かっこいい、かばん

Movie 2.8 ki, gi (3 or 4 strokes)

Normally in written hiragana there is a break in the bottom loop and is continued with a short line underneath.

Movie 2.10 ku, gu (1 stroke)

Examples: ください、くち、くつ、くもり、くるま、くろい

Examples:きく、きのう、きもの

Movie 2.9 ko, go (2 strokes)

Movie 2.7 ke, ge (3 strokes) Audio 2.2 ka-ko

Audio 2.3 ga-go

Examples: けさ、けんかする、

Examples: こにちは、ごぇん、

げんき、けっこんする

ことし、この、こんど

Movie 2.13 shi, ji (1 stroke)

Movie 2.11 sa, za (2 or 3 strokes)

Just like with ki, the bottom loop usually contains a break and is continued with another stroke.

Examples: しぬ、した、しけん、しゃしん、じゅぎょう

Movie 2.15 su, zu (2 strokes)

Examples: すき、すし、すむ、すごく、すみません、すこし

Examples: さけ、さんぷん、さむい

Movie 2.12 se, ze (2 strokes)

Movie 2.14 so, zo (1 stroke)

Audio 2.4 sa-so

Audio 2.5 za-zo

Examples: せいじ、せき、

Examples: そうじ、そうですか、そして、それ、それから

せんせい、せんこう、せんたく

Movie 2.16 ta, da (4 strokes)

Movie 2.18 chi, ji (2 strokes)

Movie 2.20 tsu, zu (1 stroke)

Examples: たのしい、たくさん、

Examples: ちいさい、ちかてつ、

Examples: つかう、つぎ、つり、

たかい、たべもの、たんご

ちょっと、ちゃ、ちち

つとめる

Movie 2.19 to, do (2 strokes)

Movie 2.17 te, de (1 stroke)

Audio 2.7 da-do

Audio 2.6 ta-to

Examples: てがみ、てんき、

Examples: ときどき、とけい、

てんぷら、てら、てぶくろ

とこや、としょかん

Movie 2.21 na (4 strokes)

Movie 2.23 ni (3 strokes)

Movie 2.25 nu (2 strokes)

Examples: なか、なくす、なる、

Examples: にく、にさい、に、

Examples: ぬすむ、ぬぐ、ぬう、

ならう、なまえ、なに

にほん、にし、にぎやか

ぬけみち、ぬいばり

Movie 2.22 ne (2 strokes)

Movie 2.24 no (1 stroke)

Audio 2.8 na-no

Examples: ねこ、ねる、ねむい、

Examples: のど、のむ、のる、

ねつがある、ねがい

のぼえる、のみもの

Review 2.1 Multiple Choice, Select which sound corresponds to the prompted character or vice-versa. Question 1 of 10

ă Ş

A. ka B. na C. chi D. a

Check Answer

Movie 2.26 ha, ba, pa (3 strokes)

Movie 2.28 hi, bi, pi (1 stroke)

Movie 2.30 fu, bu, pu (4 strokes)

Examples: は、はく、はし、

Examples: ひく、ひとり、ひと、

Examples: ふく、ふたり、ふろ、

はたらく、はたち、はな

ひこうき、ひま、ひる

ふるい、ふね、ふゆ、ぶんがく

Movie 2.27 he, be, pe (1 stroke)

Movie 2.29 ho, bo, po (4 strokes)

Audio 2.9 ha-ho

Audio 2.11 pa-po

Examples: へた、へや、へんじ、 Audio 2.10 ba-bo

Examples: ほん、ほんや、

べんり、べんきょうする

ほかし、ほうけん、ぼく

Movie 2.31 ma (3 strokes)

Movie 2.33 mi (2 strokes)

Movie 2.35 mu (3 strokes)

Examples: まあまあ、まえ、

Examples: みんな、みる、みぎ、

Examples: むいか、むこう、

まいしゅう、まつり、まいにち

みず、みどり、みなみ

むっつ、むね、むらさき

Movie 2.32 me (2 strokes)

Movie 2.34 mo (3 strokes)

Audio 2.12 ma-mo

Examples: め、めがね、めだか、

Examples: もう、もしもし、

めずらしい、めだつ、めめしい

もちろん、もち、もっと

Movie 2.36 ra (2 strokes)

Movie 2.38 ri (2 strokes)

Movie 2.40 ru (1 stroke)

Examples: らいねん、らいがつ、

Examples: りゅがくせい、

Examples: るすのあいだ、

らいがっき、らいしゅう

りんご、りょう、りょうり

るいんじいえん、るじん

Movie 2.37 ru (2 strokes)

Movie 2.39 ro (1 stroke)

Audio 2.13 ra-ro

Examples: れい、れきし、

Examples: ろくさい、ろくじ、

れんしゅう、れい

ろっぷん、ろくがつ

Movie 2.41 ya (3 strokes)

Movie 2.43 yu ( 2 strokes)

Movie 2.45 yo (2 strokes)

Examples: やきゅう、やさい、

Examples: ゆき、ゆっくり、

Examples: ようか、ようじ、

やすむ、やすみ、やみ

ゆめ、ゆうびんきょく

よく、よむ、よる、よんさい

Audio 2.14 ya-yo

Movie 2.42 wa (2 strokes)

Movie 2.44 wo (3 strokes) Audio 2.15 wa-wo

Examples: わかい、わかる、わるい、わたし、わかれる

Movie 2.46 n (1 stroke) Audio 2.16 n

Only serves as a particle to denote the relationship between the noun or adjective and the verb.

Examples: れんしゅう、ぶんか、べんとう、らいねん、にほんじん

Review 2.2 Multiple Choice, Select which sound corresponds to the prompted character or vice-versa. Question 10 of 10

A. ま B. し C. も D. よ

Check Answer

Resources: Information found in Genki I Stroke Videos Found on http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ Category:Hiragana_stroke_order. Accessed on 4/14/14 Audio Done by Ryan Yust Author Page Image: Kato Kiyomasa. Vertical Dyptich by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka. Published by Maruya Jimpachi, 1867. A vertical diptych of Kato Kiyomasa ( 1562-1611 ). Accessed on 4/14/14 How to Page Image, Untitled, Found on http://4.bp.blogspot.com/mIXSKycymls/UMd4rKYFF9I/AAAAAAAAAj8/vYij7wVk2XQ/s1600/49.jpg, unaccredited. Accessed on 4/14/14 Rice Paper Background Found on http://designerwallcoverings.com/ WallpaperStore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=72 Accessed on 4/14/14 Back Cover Image, Untitled, Found on :https://s-media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/ originals/1b/be/d8/1bbed8457bc8667117a41981b0e83f08.jpg .Accessed on 4/14/14 16

ABOUT THE BOOK

â&#x2C6;?

WHAT IS INSIDE Inside this book you will find a description of the basic hiragana alphabet. There are numerous videos that demonstrate proper stroke order and line placement. Each of the characters have short audio clips of the correct pronunciation. It also includes some quizzes over the various parts of hiragana including word and sound recognition.