Hiragana ORANGE belt - with AUDIO

Click the PLAY button, and choose the

hiragana character that matches the sound you hear.

• い

• た

• な

• ぬ

Answer explanation

な makes the sound like the 'na' on the end of 'banana'.

When we write な in rōmaji, we write it as 'na'.

The memory hint picture shows a nun praying in front of a cross. な makes the same sound as the beginning of the word 'nun'.

• い

• の

• ん

• に

Answer explanation

に is the start sound in にほんご (nihongo = Japanese) and 'ninja'.

We write に as 'ni' in rōmaji.

• ぬ

• め

• く

• お

Answer explanation

ぬ makes the sound like the beginning of the word 'noodle'.

We write ぬ as 'nu' in rōmaji.

Memory hint: It helps to remember ぬ by thinking of a curly noodle.

• ぬ

• あ

• り

• ね

Answer explanation

ね makes the sound 'ne' like the beginning of the word 'never'.

We write ね as 'ne' in rōmaji.

Memory hint: "Never forgot to feed your cat."

• え

• ろ

• の

• ひ

Answer explanation

の makes the sound 'no' like the beginning of 'not'.

We write の as 'no' in rōmaji.

A memory hint for の is 'not allowed'.

• ふ

• ま

• は

• た

Answer explanation

は makes the sound 'ha' like in when we say 'haha!'

We write は as 'ha' in rōmaji.

Memory hint: You can see the letters h + a in は.

Ha, ha, ha....!

は is a special character, because it also has an important job as a PARTICLE. When it is a particle, we say 'wa' (like a guitar 'wah wah' pedal) instead of 'ha'. You will learn more about this later!

• び

• う

• へ

• ひ

Answer explanation

ひ makes the sound 'hi' like in the word 'hill'.

We write ひ as 'hi' in rōmaji.

Memory hint: imagine a lake between 2 hills.

• ふ

• へ

• き

• や

Answer explanation

ふ makes the 'fu' sound in Mt Fuji. (There is no 'hu' sound in Japanese.)

We write ふ as 'fu' in rōmaji. It can be written a few different ways (see picture).

Memory hint: There is a little bit of cloud above Mt Fuji.

• く

• も

• は

• へ

Answer explanation

へ makes the sound 'he' like in 'head' or 'hen'.

We write へ as 'he' in rōmaji.

Memory hint: the word 'hen' means weird in Japanese - a weird, pointy head!

• け

• ま

• わ

• ほ

Answer explanation

ほ makes the sound 'ho' like the beginning of 'hot'.

We write ほ as 'ho' in rōmaji.

Memory hint: When we turn ほ on it's side, it says 'ho' with a heat mat underneath, because it's HOT!