Le tableau complet des hiragana, avec un moyen de retenir chaque caractère

Moyen de retenir: An antenna on a little house — someone inside says "aah!" when the picture appears.

あい (ai) — love

Moyen de retenir: Two little eels swimming side by side — "ee!"

いぬ (inu) — dog

Moyen de retenir: A wave curling above the sea — "ooh!"

うみ (umi) — sea

Moyen de retenir: An energetic ninja caught mid-run — "eh!"

えき (eki) — station

Moyen de retenir: A UFO hovering over a surprised person — "oh!"

おかね (okane) — money

Moyen de retenir: A kite with a short tail cutting through the wind — ka!

かさ (kasa) — umbrella

Moyen de retenir: A key with two teeth — ki sounds like "key".

きもの (kimono) — kimono

Moyen de retenir: A bird's open beak — coo, ku!

くつ (kutsu) — shoes

Moyen de retenir: A skewer next to a bent shrimp — a kebab, ke!

けさ (kesa) — this morning

Moyen de retenir: Two calm strokes lying down — a cozy little cot, ko.

こども (kodomo) — child

Moyen de retenir: A fishhook that just caught a sardine — sa!

さかな (sakana) — fish

Moyen de retenir: A fishing line hanging into the water — shhh, shi, the fish are listening.

しお (shio) — salt

Moyen de retenir: A straw spiraling in a glass — one sip, su!

すし (sushi) — sushi

Moyen de retenir: A mouth with one tooth sticking out — "se", says the dentist.

せかい (sekai) — world

Moyen de retenir: A single thread sewn in zigzag — so-so stitching.

そら (sora) — sky

Moyen de retenir: It literally looks like "t" + "a" squeezed together — ta-da!

たまご (tamago) — egg

Moyen de retenir: A cheerleader's raised arm with a pom-pom — chi!

ちず (chizu) — map

Moyen de retenir: A tsunami wave rolling in — tsu.

つき (tsuki) — moon

Moyen de retenir: A table seen from the side — te. (て itself means "hand"!)

て (te) — hand

Moyen de retenir: A toe with a tiny splinter — ouch, to!

とり (tori) — bird

Moyen de retenir: A cross above a tight knot — na, for knot.

なつ (natsu) — summer

Moyen de retenir: A needle beside two neat stitches — ni.

にく (niku) — meat

Moyen de retenir: Noodles twirled around chopsticks — nu!

ぬの (nuno) — cloth

Moyen de retenir: A cat sitting with a curled tail — neko starts with ne.

ねこ (neko) — cat

Moyen de retenir: A "no entry" swirl — no!

のり (nori) — nori seaweed

Moyen de retenir: A capital "H" holding a balloon — ha! It floats.

はな (hana) — flower

Moyen de retenir: A wide grin — hee hee, hi!

ひと (hito) — person

Moyen de retenir: Mount Fuji with wind whistling around the peak — fu.

ふゆ (fuyu) — winter

Moyen de retenir: A little hill — heh, easy to climb.

へや (heya) — room

Moyen de retenir: A mast with a full sail — ho, off we go! (ほ means "sail".)

ほし (hoshi) — star

Moyen de retenir: A mama tying a round knot at the bottom — ma.

まど (mado) — window

Moyen de retenir: The number 21 written in one loopy motion — mi turns 21.

みず (mizu) — water

Moyen de retenir: A cow's face with a curly nose — moo, mu!

むし (mushi) — insect

Moyen de retenir: An eye with a beautiful lash — め really means "eye"!

め (me) — eye

Moyen de retenir: A fishhook with two worms — more bait, mo!

もり (mori) — forest

Moyen de retenir: A yak's head with one horn poking up — ya!

やま (yama) — mountain

Moyen de retenir: A unique fish swimming through a hoop — yu.

ゆき (yuki) — snow

Moyen de retenir: A yo-yo dangling from a finger — yo!

よる (yoru) — night

Moyen de retenir: A DJ's hand raised over a turntable — ra!

らいねん (rainen) — next year

Moyen de retenir: A river flowing between two banks — ri.

りんご (ringo) — apple

Moyen de retenir: A looping road that ends in a roundabout — ru.

るす (rusu) — being away from home

Moyen de retenir: A runner kicking one leg back at the start line — re, ready!

れきし (rekishi) — history

Moyen de retenir: The same looping road as る — but with no roundabout: ro.

ろく (roku) — six

Moyen de retenir: A wave breaking against a pole — wa!

わたし (watashi) — I, me

Moyen de retenir: Someone mid-cartwheel shouting "whoa!". Written wo, usually pronounced o — it marks the object of a sentence.

ほんをよむ (hon wo yomu) — to read a book

Moyen de retenir: A simple "n" shape — the only kana that ends a syllable: hmmm… n.

ほん (hon) — book

Moyen de retenir: か (ka) + ゛ = が (ga). The two dots switch the voice on.

めがね (megane) — glasses

Moyen de retenir: き (ki) + ゛ = ぎ (gi). The two dots switch the voice on.

ぎんこう (ginkou) — bank

Moyen de retenir: く (ku) + ゛ = ぐ (gu). The two dots switch the voice on.

かぐ (kagu) — furniture

Moyen de retenir: け (ke) + ゛ = げ (ge). The two dots switch the voice on.

げんき (genki) — lively, healthy

Moyen de retenir: こ (ko) + ゛ = ご (go). The two dots switch the voice on.

ごはん (gohan) — rice, meal

Moyen de retenir: さ (sa) + ゛ = ざ (za). The dots add a buzz — zzz.

ひざ (hiza) — knee

Moyen de retenir: し (shi) + ゛ = じ (ji). The dots add a buzz.

じかん (jikan) — time

Moyen de retenir: す (su) + ゛ = ず (zu). The dots add a buzz.

すず (suzu) — bell

Moyen de retenir: せ (se) + ゛ = ぜ (ze). The dots add a buzz.

かぜ (kaze) — wind

Moyen de retenir: そ (so) + ゛ = ぞ (zo). The dots add a buzz.

かぞく (kazoku) — family

Moyen de retenir: た (ta) + ゛ = だ (da). The dots make it heavier.

だいがく (daigaku) — university

Moyen de retenir: ち (chi) + ゛ = ぢ, read "ji" like じ. Rare — it survives in a few words like はなぢ (nosebleed).

はなぢ (hanaji) — nosebleed

Moyen de retenir: つ (tsu) + ゛ = づ, read "zu" like ず. Rare — appears in words like つづく (to continue).

つづく (tsuzuku) — to continue

Moyen de retenir: て (te) + ゛ = で (de). The dots make it heavier.

でんわ (denwa) — telephone

Moyen de retenir: と (to) + ゛ = ど (do). The dots make it heavier.

どこ (doko) — where

Moyen de retenir: は (ha) + ゛ = ば (ba). The dots turn breath into voice.

かばん (kaban) — bag

Moyen de retenir: ひ (hi) + ゛ = び (bi). The dots turn breath into voice.

ゆび (yubi) — finger

Moyen de retenir: ふ (fu) + ゛ = ぶ (bu). The dots turn breath into voice.

てぶくろ (tebukuro) — gloves

Moyen de retenir: へ (he) + ゛ = べ (be). The dots turn breath into voice.

たべる (taberu) — to eat

Moyen de retenir: ほ (ho) + ゛ = ぼ (bo). The dots turn breath into voice.

ぼうし (boushi) — hat

Moyen de retenir: は (ha) + ゜ = ぱ (pa). The little circle makes the sound pop.

ぱん (pan) — bread

Moyen de retenir: ひ (hi) + ゜ = ぴ (pi). The little circle makes the sound pop.

えんぴつ (enpitsu) — pencil

Moyen de retenir: ふ (fu) + ゜ = ぷ (pu). The little circle makes the sound pop.

てんぷら (tenpura) — tempura

Moyen de retenir: へ (he) + ゜ = ぺ (pe). The little circle makes the sound pop.

ぺらぺら (perapera) — fluent (in a language)

Moyen de retenir: ほ (ho) + ゜ = ぽ (po). The little circle makes the sound pop.

さんぽ (sanpo) — a stroll

Moyen de retenir: き (ki) + small ゃ = きゃ (kya), one smooth syllable.

きゃく (kyaku) — guest

Moyen de retenir: き (ki) + small ゅ = きゅ (kyu), one smooth syllable.

きゅう (kyuu) — nine

Moyen de retenir: き (ki) + small ょ = きょ (kyo), one smooth syllable.

きょう (kyou) — today

Moyen de retenir: し (shi) + small ゃ = しゃ (sha), one smooth syllable.

しゃしん (shashin) — photo

Moyen de retenir: し (shi) + small ゅ = しゅ (shu), one smooth syllable.

しゅくだい (shukudai) — homework

Moyen de retenir: し (shi) + small ょ = しょ (sho), one smooth syllable.

しょうゆ (shouyu) — soy sauce

Moyen de retenir: ち (chi) + small ゃ = ちゃ (cha), one smooth syllable.

おちゃ (ocha) — tea

Moyen de retenir: ち (chi) + small ゅ = ちゅ (chu), one smooth syllable.

ちゅうごく (chuugoku) — China

Moyen de retenir: ち (chi) + small ょ = ちょ (cho), one smooth syllable.

ちょう (chou) — butterfly

Moyen de retenir: に (ni) + small ゃ = にゃ (nya) — exactly the sound a Japanese cat makes.

にゃあ (nyaa) — meow

Moyen de retenir: に (ni) + small ゅ = にゅ (nyu), one smooth syllable.

ぎゅうにゅう (gyuunyuu) — milk

Moyen de retenir: に (ni) + small ょ = にょ (nyo), one smooth syllable.

にょうぼう (nyoubou) — wife (casual)

Moyen de retenir: ひ (hi) + small ゃ = ひゃ (hya), one smooth syllable.

ひゃく (hyaku) — hundred

Moyen de retenir: ひ (hi) + small ゅ = ひゅ (hyu) — the whoosh of a cold wind.

ひゅう (hyuu) — whoosh (of wind)

Moyen de retenir: ひ (hi) + small ょ = ひょ (hyo), one smooth syllable.

ひょう (hyou) — leopard

Moyen de retenir: み (mi) + small ゃ = みゃ (mya), one smooth syllable.

みゃく (myaku) — pulse

Moyen de retenir: み (mi) + small ゅ = みゅ (myu). Rare — you'll mostly meet it in katakana loanwords like ミュージック (music).

Moyen de retenir: み (mi) + small ょ = みょ (myo), one smooth syllable.

みょうじ (myouji) — surname

Moyen de retenir: り (ri) + small ゃ = りゃ (rya), one smooth syllable.

りゃくご (ryakugo) — abbreviation

Moyen de retenir: り (ri) + small ゅ = りゅ (ryu) — like りゅう, the dragon.

りゅう (ryuu) — dragon

Moyen de retenir: り (ri) + small ょ = りょ (ryo), one smooth syllable.

りょこう (ryokou) — travel, trip

Moyen de retenir: ぎ (gi) + small ゃ = ぎゃ (gya), one smooth syllable.

ぎゃく (gyaku) — opposite, reverse

Moyen de retenir: ぎ (gi) + small ゅ = ぎゅ (gyu), one smooth syllable.

ぎゅうにく (gyuuniku) — beef

Moyen de retenir: ぎ (gi) + small ょ = ぎょ (gyo), one smooth syllable.

きんぎょ (kingyo) — goldfish

Moyen de retenir: じ (ji) + small ゃ = じゃ (ja), one smooth syllable.

じゃがいも (jagaimo) — potato

Moyen de retenir: じ (ji) + small ゅ = じゅ (ju), one smooth syllable.

じゅう (juu) — ten

Moyen de retenir: じ (ji) + small ょ = じょ (jo), one smooth syllable.

じょうず (jouzu) — skilled, good at

Moyen de retenir: ぢ + small ゃ = ぢゃ, read "ja" like じゃ. Practically never used — kept for completeness.

Moyen de retenir: ぢ + small ゅ = ぢゅ, read "ju" like じゅ. Practically never used — kept for completeness.

Moyen de retenir: ぢ + small ょ = ぢょ, read "jo" like じょ. Practically never used — kept for completeness.

Moyen de retenir: び (bi) + small ゃ = びゃ (bya), one smooth syllable.

さんびゃく (sanbyaku) — three hundred

Moyen de retenir: び (bi) + small ゅ = びゅ (byu) — the howl of a strong wind.

びゅうびゅう (byuubyuu) — howling (wind)

Moyen de retenir: び (bi) + small ょ = びょ (byo), one smooth syllable.

びょういん (byouin) — hospital

Moyen de retenir: ぴ (pi) + small ゃ = ぴゃ (pya), one smooth syllable.

ろっぴゃく (roppyaku) — six hundred

Moyen de retenir: ぴ (pi) + small ゅ = ぴゅ (pyu) — something whizzing past.

ぴゅう (pyuu) — whizz, whistle

Moyen de retenir: ぴ (pi) + small ょ = ぴょ (pyo) — like ぴょんぴょん, a rabbit's hop.

ぴょんぴょん (pyonpyon) — hop hop (like a rabbit)