Reference · Hiragana
The 五十音 (gojūon, "fifty sounds") grid. Read it down each column: the five vowels あ い う え お set the pattern, and every consonant row repeats it (k + a/i/u/e/o, s + a/i/u/e/o…). Once you hear the grid, most of hiragana is just "consonant × vowel".
Highlighted = covered so far (Lessons 1–3: vowels, K-row, S-row, T-row).
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | あa | いi | うu | えe | おo |
| k | かka | きki | くku | けke | こko |
| s | さsa | しshi | すsu | せse | そso |
| t | たta | ちchi | つtsu | てte | とto |
| n | なna | にni | ぬnu | ねne | のno |
| h | はha | ひhi | ふfu | へhe | ほho |
| m | まma | みmi | むmu | めme | もmo |
| y | やya | ゆyu | よyo | ||
| r | らra | りri | るru | れre | ろro |
| w | わwa | をwo | |||
| n | んn |
Notes on the irregular sounds: し = shi (not "si"), ち = chi, つ = tsu, ふ = fu. These trip everyone up — they'll get their own lesson.