Basic kana (清音, seion)
The 46 base characters, without any ゛ or ゜ marks.
あ アa
い イi
う ウu
え エe
お オo
か カka
き キki
く クku
け ケke
こ コko
さ サsa
し シshi
す スsu
せ セse
そ ソso
た タta
ち チchi
つ ツtsu
て テte
と トto
な ナna
に ニni
ぬ ヌnu
ね ネne
の ノno
は ハha
ひ ヒhi
ふ フfu
へ ヘhe
ほ ホho
ま マma
み ミmi
む ムmu
め メme
も モmo
や ヤya
ゆ ユyu
よ ヨyo
ら ラra
り リri
る ルru
れ レre
ろ ロro
わ ワwa
を ヲwo
ん ンn
Meaning
- Seion means "clear sounds". They are arranged in a table called the gojūon (五十音, "fifty sounds").
Reading the table
- Columns follow the vowels a · i · u · e · o (あ い う え お).
- Rows follow the consonants: the a-row, ka-row, sa-row …
- e.g. ka-row = か き く け こ (ka ki ku ke ko)
Good to know
- The ya-row has only や ゆ よ, and the wa-row only わ を.
- を is used only as the object particle and is pronounced like お (o).
- ん is a nasal sound that attaches to the syllable before it (n, m or ng depending on what follows). Strictly it is its own category, but it is usually taught with the basic kana.
- Watch the irregular ones: し is shi, ち is chi, つ is tsu and ふ is fu.