Complete Hiragana Chart with Romaji

Hiragana is the first writing system every Japanese learner meets: 46 characters, each representing one syllable, used for native Japanese words and all grammar. This page has the complete chart — the 46 basics, the voiced (dakuten) variants, and the combination sounds — each with its romaji, which is also exactly what you type on a keyboard.

The 46 basic hiragana

Read the chart top-to-bottom, row by row: the vowel row first (a i u e o), then each consonant row. The romaji under each character is both its pronunciation and its keyboard input.

Four characters use irregular romaji worth memorizing on day one: し = shi, ち = chi, つ = tsu, and ふ = fu. Also note を — pronounced "o" but typed wo — and ん, typed nn on a keyboard.

Dakuten and handakuten (゛and ゜)

Two small marks turn unvoiced sounds into voiced ones. The dakuten ゛ changes k→g, s→z, t→d, and h→b; the handakuten ゜ changes h→p. No new shapes to learn — just the marks:

Combination sounds (ようおん)

A consonant character from the i column plus a small ゃ ゅ ょ blends into a single syllable: き + ゃ = きゃ kya. These appear constantly in real words — きょう (today), じゃあ (well then), りょこう (travel).

Reading the chart: rows, columns, and why they matter

The chart isn't just a reference — its structure is baked into Japanese grammar. The five columns are the vowels a i u e o, and the rows are consonants. Japanese verb conjugation literally moves along these rows: のむ (nomu, "to drink") becomes のみます (nomimasu), のまない (nomanai), のめる (nomeru) — the mstays, the vowel slides across the row. Learn the chart in its grid order and you're pre-loading the conjugation system you'll meet a few weeks later.

Two oddities to expect: the や row and わ row have gaps (those syllables merged with the vowels centuries ago), and をsurvives almost exclusively as the object particle — you'll type it constantly in sentences but rarely inside a word.

How to actually learn the chart

Staring at a chart builds recognition slowly; typing builds it fast, because every word forces you to recall the reading and produce it. A simple plan:

1. Pick one row (say, the ka row) and type a few real words that use it.
2. Keep romaji hints on until your fingers stop hesitating.
3. Turn the hints off and type the same words reading only the kana.
4. Add the next row. Cycle back often — old rows stay fresh through the new words.

If you can type a word, you can read it. For the typing rules themselves (っ, ん, long vowels), see How to type hiragana on an English keyboard.