Hiragana Made Easy: The First Step to Learning Japanese
If your child is just beginning to explore the beautiful world of the Japanese language, learning Hiragana is the perfect place to start. Hiragana is one of the three writing systems used in Japanese (along with Katakana and Kanji), and it’s the most beginner-friendly — especially for kids.
Used in everything from picture books to video subtitles, Hiragana is essential for building reading and speaking skills. The good news? It’s not as hard as it looks!
Here’s a simplified version of the Hiragana syllabary, ideal for children who are just starting out.
Japanese Letters in Hiragana (ひらがな)
Each character in Hiragana represents a syllable, not a single letter like in English. Once children learn these basic symbols, they can begin forming words and simple sentences!
Hiragana Alphabet Table
A (あ) | I (い) | U (う) | E (え) | O (お) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
K | か (ka) | き (ki) | く (ku) | け (ke) | こ (ko) |
S | さ (sa) | し (shi) | す (su) | せ (se) | そ (so) |
T | た (ta) | ち (chi) | つ (tsu) | て (te) | と (to) |
N | な (na) | に (ni) | ぬ (nu) | ね (ne) | の (no) |
H | は (ha) | ひ (hi) | ふ (fu) | へ (he) | ほ (ho) |
M | ま (ma) | み (mi) | む (mu) | め (me) | も (mo) |
Y | や (ya) | — | ゆ (yu) | — | よ (yo) |
R | ら (ra) | り (ri) | る (ru) | れ (re) | ろ (ro) |
W | わ (wa) | — | — | — | を ((w)o) |
N | ん (n) | — | — | — | — |
How to Make Hiragana Fun for Kids
While memorizing characters can feel overwhelming at first, it becomes much easier when learning is interactive and playful. That’s where Dinolingo’s Japanese program comes in. Designed for children ages 2–14, Dinolingo introduces Hiragana through:
-
Animated videos that say each word out loud
-
Catchy songs using Hiragana characters
-
Flashcards and worksheets for offline practice
-
Language games that reward progress with surprises and badges
-
An easy-to-use parent dashboard to track learning
Best of all, it’s available on web, iOS, and Android, and includes printable materials for screen-free moments.
Final Thoughts: A Small Step, A Big Start
Learning Hiragana is more than memorizing symbols, it’s the gateway to reading, speaking, and understanding Japanese. With the right tools, even young learners can master it quickly and joyfully.
So go ahead, print out the table, sing a few Hiragana songs, and start your child’s Japanese journey today!