Hiragana

Hello again!

This is a "homework" post. This means we set you work (important work) and you do it. Your homework is to learn hiragana.

Hiragana is one of four writing systems that the Japanese use. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about hiragana:

Hiragana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana and kanji; the Latin alphabet is also used in some cases. Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each symbol represents one mora. Each kana is either a vowel (such as a あ); a consonant followed by a vowel (such as ka か); or n ん, a nasalsonorant which, depending on the context, sounds either like English m, n, or ng (IPA: [ŋ]), or like the nasal vowels of French.

Confused? I sure as hell am. Here are the things you need to know:

• Hiragana is the simplest "true" Japanese script.
• Each "letter" is one sound
• These sounds are usually a consonant and a vowel (eg na, ki, etc.)
• One hiragana (n) is pronounced nnn
  
• Five hiragana are vowels. They're pronounced differently to English vowels, however.
• A is pronounced as in car
• I is pronounced as in the last I in Hawaii (the eeee sound at the end of the word)
• U is pronounced as in you
• E is pronounced as in elephant
• O is pronounced as in hot

Hiragana is very, very important to learn. Save the following hiragana chart to your hard drive, and then begin writing out the first column until you know every single one of them off by heart.
Then, when you know the first column, go to the second column. Write all of those out until you know every single one of them. Here's something that'll speed up your learning.

Chonchons are the two little lines in the top right-hand corner of the hiragana in the second column.
Maru are the little circles in the top right hand corner of the P line of hiragana.

The K line + chonchons = G line (ka to ga, ki to gi, etc)
The T line + chonchons = D line
The S line + chonchons = Z line
The H line + chonchons = B line
The H line + maru = P line

Here's an easy mnemonic to help you remember:

Ted and Suzy got a keg from the hubba-bubba-pubba.

Yes, it's a bit stupid, but it works.

Now, after you've mastered the second column, you proceed to the third. See how all of them have a tiny little Y line hiragana in with them? See how it changes the sound? Once you've got note of that, it all becomes very easy.

Good luck! I'll be posting a hiragana test some time in following months, so please do your best to learn these to be ready!

Hiragana Chart

(To save the chart to your hard drive, right-click and then click "Save Target As" or Save Link As").