BASICS
What is Kana?
SCRIPT
CHARACTER
PURPOSE & USE
ひらがな
Hiragana
Hiragana
あ い う
The core script for native Japanese words, verb endings, particles (は, が, を), and furigana (reading guides over kanji). Every beginner must master this first.
カタカナ
Katakana
Katakana
ア イ ウ
Used mainly for loanwords (foreign words adapted into Japanese): コーヒー (coffee), テレビ (TV), スマート (smart). Also for emphasis, sound effects, and scientific terms.
かんじ
Kanji
Kanji
日 本 語
Chinese-derived characters for nouns and roots. Each has its own reading. Covered in the N5/N4 Kanji module — after you master kana.
Hiragana and Katakana represent the same sounds. They are two different ways of writing the same 46 phonetic syllables — like having a printed and cursive version of the same alphabet. Once you learn one, the other comes much faster.
STEP 1
Hiragana — ひらがな
Learn hiragana in row order (a-i-u-e-o, ka-ki-ku-ke-ko…). Each row shares the same consonant. Memorise one row per day for 9 days, then review everything.
Basic Hiragana
清音 — seion
46 characters
a
i
u
e
o
あa
いi
うu
えe
おo
かka
きki
くku
けke
こko
さsa
しshi
すsu
せse
そso
たta
ちchi
つtsu
てte
とto
なna
にni
ぬnu
ねne
のno
はha
ひhi
ふfu
へhe
ほho
まma
みmi
むmu
めme
もmo
やya
ゆyu
よyo
らra
りri
るru
れre
ろro
わwa
をwo
んn
STEP 2
Katakana — カタカナ
Katakana uses the same sounds as hiragana — only the shapes differ. After mastering hiragana, map each new shape to the hiragana you already know. Many students find katakana faster to learn because of this.
Basic Katakana
清音 — seion
46 characters
a
i
u
e
o
アa
イi
ウu
エe
オo
カka
キki
クku
ケke
コko
サsa
シshi
スsu
セse
ソso
タta
チchi
ツtsu
テte
トto
ナna
ニni
ヌnu
ネne
ノno
ハha
ヒhi
フfu
ヘhe
ホho
マma
ミmi
ムmu
メme
モmo
ヤya
ユyu
ヨyo
ラra
リri
ルru
レre
ロro
ワwa
ヲwo
ンn
STEP 3
Dakuten & Handakuten ゛゜
Adding ゛ (dakuten, two small strokes) or ゜ (handakuten, small circle) to a base character changes the consonant. You don't need to memorise these separately — they follow a simple rule from the base sounds you already know.
Voiced & Semi-voiced (Hiragana)
濁音・半濁音
25 characters
a
i
u
e
o
がga
ぎgi
ぐgu
げge
ごgo
ざza
じji
ずzu
ぜze
ぞzo
だda
ぢdi
づdu
でde
どdo
ばba
びbi
ぶbu
べbe
ぼbo
ぱpa
ぴpi
ぷpu
ぺpe
ぽpo
The dakuten rule:
か→が (k→g) · さ→ざ (s→z) · た→だ (t→d) · は→ば (h→b)
The handakuten rule: は→ぱ (h→p). Only the は-row gets the circle ゜.
か→が (k→g) · さ→ざ (s→z) · た→だ (t→d) · は→ば (h→b)
The handakuten rule: は→ぱ (h→p). Only the は-row gets the circle ゜.
WATCH OUT
Characters That Look Alike
These pairs are responsible for the majority of beginner mistakes. Study the differences closely — the quiz will test exactly these characters.
CHAR 1
CHAR 2
HOW TO TELL APART
さsa
きki
さ has two strokes crossing at the top. き has a fourth stroke hanging below — look for the "tail".
ぬnu
めme
Both have a loop, but ぬ ends with a curling tail. め ends with a closed loop on the right. Think: ぬ = "noodle with a tail".
るru
ろro
る has a loop at the bottom. ろ does not — it ends with a straight horizontal stroke. One loop vs. no loop.
ソso
ンn
Both are katakana and look nearly identical! ソ has two short diagonal strokes leaning LEFT, then a long stroke. ン has two strokes leaning RIGHT. Rotate: ソ = "so" (looks like a smile), ン = "n" (frown).
シshi
ツtsu
The classic katakana trap. シ (shi) has two dots on the LEFT side and a stroke going right. ツ (tsu) has two dots on TOP and a stroke going down-right. Think: シ is sideways, ツ is upright.
アa
マma
ア has a diagonal stroke crossing the top. マ has a horizontal stroke at the top with a hook. ア looks like an "A" with a slant.
MEMORISATION
How to Memorise Kana Fast
METHOD 01
Row-by-row chunking
Learn one row (5 characters) per session. Each row shares a consonant — your brain groups them as a family, not isolated facts.
Day 1: あいうえお
Day 2: かきくけこ
Day 3: さしすせそ …
Day 2: かきくけこ
Day 3: さしすせそ …
METHOD 02
Shape stories (mnemonics)
Link each character to a visual story. The sillier, the better — your brain retains unusual images far longer than abstract symbols.
め looks like an eye — me means eye in Japanese.
山 looks like a mountain — yama means mountain.
山 looks like a mountain — yama means mountain.
METHOD 03
Romaji typing drill
The app's type-in mode forces you to recall the sound from the shape — not just recognise it. Recognition ≠ production. Type-in drills production.
See あ → type a → press Enter
See き → type ki → press Enter
See き → type ki → press Enter
METHOD 04
Read real words immediately
As soon as you know a row, find real Japanese words using those characters. Seeing them in context wires them into long-term memory.
After か-row: かき (kaki, oyster), かこ (kako, past), かく (kaku, to write)
METHOD 05
Daily 10-minute review
Short daily review beats long weekly cram sessions by a wide margin. 10 minutes every day for 3 weeks outperforms 3.5 hours in one sitting.
Use the 🔖 Review Quiz inside the app. Wrong answers auto-queue — zero prep needed.
METHOD 06
Katakana via loanwords
Katakana is much easier if you learn it through loanwords you already know in English. The shape becomes attached to a word you already own.
コーヒー (kōhī) = coffee
テレビ (terebi) = TV
バス (basu) = bus
テレビ (terebi) = TV
バス (basu) = bus
STUDY PLAN
2-Week Schedule
Study for 20–30 minutes per day. Each session: learn new characters → immediately quiz yourself → end with a short review of everything so far. Do not skip the quiz step.
Day 1–2
あいうえお + かきくけこ + さしすせそ
Vowels first (5 characters), then K-row, then S-row. Use Grid mode to see the table, then switch to Type-in mode to drill. 15 characters total.
Day 3–4
たちつてと + なにぬねの + はひふへほ
T-row contains the irregular sounds: ち (chi) and つ (tsu). Say them aloud while writing. Add H-row and N-row. Review all previous rows at end of Day 4.
Day 5–6
まみむめも + やゆよ + らりるれろ + わをん
Final rows of basic hiragana. M-row, Y-row (only 3!), R-row, W-row. After Day 6, you know all 46 basic hiragana. Use "All" filter quiz to confirm.
Day 7
Dakuten — voiced sounds (が ざ だ ば + ぱ)
Learn all 25 voiced characters. The pattern (か→が, さ→ざ, etc.) means this goes faster than basic hiragana. Switch to "Dakuten" filter in the app.
Day 8–9
Full hiragana review + start Katakana vowels
Set filter to "All" and take the combined quiz. Target 90%+. Begin katakana: ア イ ウ エ オ — compare each to its hiragana pair.
Day 10–12
Katakana rows カ→ホ (basic 46)
Work through katakana rows at the same pace. Pay extra attention to シ/ツ and ソ/ン (see confusing pairs above). Use loanword examples to anchor each shape.
Day 13–14
Katakana dakuten + full mixed review
Add voiced katakana (ガ ザ ダ バ パ). Final two days: run the combined hiragana + katakana quiz until you score 95%+ consistently. You're ready for N5.