Hiragana is one
of the four writing styles used when reading and writing Japanese. This writing
style is derived from Chinese characters, and is essentially certain characters
written in a cursive font. Hiragana is a phonetic alphabet that consists of 46
different characters. This writing style is used extensively in the Japanese
language, and is in fact the second most widely used alphabet so it’s a pretty
crucial element.
But enough
back-story, here are some tips that will get you reading Hiragana in just a
matter of days!
· I
know flashcards are so overdone, but they really are one of the most helpful
tools when it comes to memorization.
2. Hiragana chart
· There are so many different charts out there, so there is bound to be one that fits you. Try and do a row or a column or maybe two a day and just keep practicing and going through them daily. After a couple of weeks of regular study you should be extremely familiar and comfortable with Hiragana.
3. Mnemonic devices
· This tip is more commonly found when it comes to studying Kanji, but it can actually be incredibly helpful for Hiragana study as well.
· For example, ‘ki’ in Hiragana looks a little bit like a key. Finding connections and using silly stories and pictures will actually be an immense help in quickly memorizing the different characters.
4. Hiragana games
· There are tons of games, ranging from PC to iPhone to Nintendo DS, that are designed to help you practice and memorize Hiragana. Games are really interactive and engage a lot of different senses so it makes learning a lot easier because it uses many different parts of the brain, and it’s actually fun. A quick Google search will help you find the game that is right for you!
5. Keep a journal
· The key here is to just practice. Practice writing in the correct stroke order and write down anything you want as long as it is fully written in Hiragana. Use any vocabulary you know, even if it’s only a couple of words. Honestly, the more you practice, the more quickly you will learn.
6. Read children’s books
· Books for children in Japan are mostly written in Hiragana with just a couple of Kanji and Katakana characters throughout. But since the bulk of the text is in Hiragana it is a great practice tool. The pictures in the book will also help you decipher what is going on and makes comprehension much easier.
· Read aloud for maximum benefit. Reading out loud will help you get in touch with the proper pronunciation and improve your accent.
7. Have a Japanese study buddy
· Having another person help and guide you is almost always the most effective resource.
· Have them dictate words to you as you write them out. This will really help with pronunciation and vocabulary. Or have them write words in hiragana, and you read the word out loud. However, if finding someone who speaks Japanese is really difficult, try finding some Japanese videos online and practice the same method.
2. Hiragana chart
· There are so many different charts out there, so there is bound to be one that fits you. Try and do a row or a column or maybe two a day and just keep practicing and going through them daily. After a couple of weeks of regular study you should be extremely familiar and comfortable with Hiragana.
3. Mnemonic devices
· This tip is more commonly found when it comes to studying Kanji, but it can actually be incredibly helpful for Hiragana study as well.
· For example, ‘ki’ in Hiragana looks a little bit like a key. Finding connections and using silly stories and pictures will actually be an immense help in quickly memorizing the different characters.
4. Hiragana games
· There are tons of games, ranging from PC to iPhone to Nintendo DS, that are designed to help you practice and memorize Hiragana. Games are really interactive and engage a lot of different senses so it makes learning a lot easier because it uses many different parts of the brain, and it’s actually fun. A quick Google search will help you find the game that is right for you!
5. Keep a journal
· The key here is to just practice. Practice writing in the correct stroke order and write down anything you want as long as it is fully written in Hiragana. Use any vocabulary you know, even if it’s only a couple of words. Honestly, the more you practice, the more quickly you will learn.
6. Read children’s books
· Books for children in Japan are mostly written in Hiragana with just a couple of Kanji and Katakana characters throughout. But since the bulk of the text is in Hiragana it is a great practice tool. The pictures in the book will also help you decipher what is going on and makes comprehension much easier.
· Read aloud for maximum benefit. Reading out loud will help you get in touch with the proper pronunciation and improve your accent.
7. Have a Japanese study buddy
· Having another person help and guide you is almost always the most effective resource.
· Have them dictate words to you as you write them out. This will really help with pronunciation and vocabulary. Or have them write words in hiragana, and you read the word out loud. However, if finding someone who speaks Japanese is really difficult, try finding some Japanese videos online and practice the same method.
I hope you
found these tips helpful and that they make your Hiragana learning much
smoother and easier. To find out how I learned
Japanese (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji and all) in one year download my free video.
