How to read Hiragana
ひらがなには ５つの母音（ぼいん）があります。
There are 5 vowels in Japanese.
| 5 vowels | a | i | u | e | o |
| あ | い | う | え | お |
あい⇒ai love
いか⇒ika squid
うみ⇒umi sea, beach
えき⇒eki railway station
おかね⇒okane money
Quiz: How to read following Hiragana? 下のひらがなは どう読みますか？
- あお(blue) 2.はな(flower) 3.ほん(book) ( a. hon b. ao c. hana )
１． ゛ two dots (called Dakuten)
かka⇒がga きki⇒ぎgi くku⇒ぐgu けke⇒げge こko⇒ごgo
| g | ga | gi | gu | ge | go |
| が | ぎ | ぐ | げ | ご | |
| z | za | zi | zu | ze | zo |
| ざ | じ | ず | ぜ | ぞ | |
| d | da | ji | zu | de | do |
| だ | ぢ | づ | で | ど | |
| b | ba | bi | bu | be | bo |
| ば | び | ぶ | べ | ぼ |
きん⇒ kin (gold) ぎん⇒gin (silver)
ふん⇒fun (minute) ぶん⇒bun (sentence)
2. ゜circle (called Handakuten)
はha⇒ぱpa ひhi⇒ぴpi ふfu⇒ぷpu へhe⇒ぺpe ほho⇒ぽpo
| p | pa | pi | pu | pe | po |
| ぱ | ぴ | ぷ | ぺ | ぽ |
ふりん⇒furin (immorality) ぷりん⇒purin (pudding)
はり⇒hari (needle) ぱり⇒pari (paris)
へん⇒hen (strange) ぺん⇒pen (pen)
