Japanese Lesson 1

Note: I blogged about japanese lesson for a few reasons, 1) to help myself preserve this language that I have learned few years ago, I wouldn't want the hard work of 4 years learning this language vanished, 2) hope that this could be a starting point for others to start learning japanese.

I will be blogging based on the book "shin nihongo no kiso 1", however, whatever I blogged/explained here might not be completely correct, but I will try my very best to give the best guidance in learning the basic of Japanese language. Have fun!!


Learning Japanese is just like learning any other languages that existed in this world. Just like English constructed its words using alphabets starting from "a" to "z", Japanese language, too, has it's own alphabets/characters (whichever you want to call).

To start learning Japanese, one is better off if he/she knows the alphabets/characters. Below are the alphabets/characters available for use in constructing japanese words:

Note that all the characters are inherited from the very basic of "a", "i", "u", "e", "o".

a [あ・ア] (ah); i [い・イ] (e); u [う・ウ] (uu); e [え・ヘ] (eh); o [お・オ] (o);
ka [か・カ]; ki [き・キ]; ku [く・ク]; ke [け・ケ]; ko [こ・コ];
sa [さ・サ]; shi [し・シ]; su [す・ス]; se [せ・セ]; so [そ・ソ];
ta [た・タ]; chi [ち・チ]; tsu [つ・ツ]; te [て・テ]; to [と・ト];
na [な・ナ]; ni [に・ニ]; nu [ぬ・ヌ]; ne [ね・ネ]; no [の・ノ];
ha [は・ハ]; hi [ひ・ヒ]; hu [ふ・フ]; he [へ・ヘ]; ho [ほ・ホ];
ma [ま・マ]; mi [み・ミ]; mu [む・ム]; me [め・メ]; mo [も・モ];
ya [や・ヤ]; yu [ゆ・ユ]; yo [よ・ヨ];
ra [ら・ラ]; ri [り・リ]; ru [る・ル]; re [れ・レ]; ro [ろ・ロ];
wa [わ・ワ]; wo [を・ヲ] (o);
n [ん・ン] (ung);

ga [が・ガ]; gi [ぎ・ギ]; gu [ぐ・グ]; ge [げ・ゲ]; go [ご・ゴ];
za [ざ・ザ]; ji [じ・ジ]; zu [ず・ズ]; ze [ぜ・ゼ]; zo [ぞ・ゾ];
da [だ・ダ]; di [ぢ・ヂ]; du [づ・ヅ]; de [で・デ]; do [ど・ド];
ba [ば・バ]; bi [び・ビ]; bu [ぶ・ブ]; be [べ・ベ]; bo [ぼ・ボ];
pa [ぱ・パ]; pi [ぴ・ピ]; pu [ぷ・プ]; pe [ぺ・ペ]; po [ぽ・ポ];

kya [きゃ・キャ]; kyu [きゅ・キュ]; kyo [きょ・キョ];
sha [しゃ・シャ]; shu [しゅ・シュ]; sho [しょ・ショ];
cha [ちゃ・チャ]; chu [ちゅ・チュ]; cho [ちょ・チョ];
nya [にゃ・ニャ]; nyu [にゅ・ニュ]; nyo [にょ・ニョ];
hya [ひゃ・ヒャ]; hyu [ひゅ・ヒュ]; hyo [ひょ・ヒョ];
mya [みゃ・ミャ]; myu [みゅ・ミュ]; myo [みょ・ミョ];
rya [りゃ・リャ]; ryu [りゅ・リュ]; ryo [りょ・リョ];

gya [ぎゃ・ギャ]; gyu [ぎゅ・ギュ]; gyo [ぎょ・ギョ];
jya [じゃ・ジャ]; jyu [じゅ・ジュ]; jyo [じょ・ジョ];

bya [びゃ・ビャ]; byu [びゅ・ビュ]; byo [びょ・ビョ];
pya [ぴゃ・ピャ]; pyu [ぴゅ・ピュ]; pyo [ぴょ・ピョ];

( ) = pronounced as
[・] = hiragana・katakana

Source: Shin Nihongo no Kiso 1 - 新日本語の基礎１ （しんにほんごのきそ１）

Example (rei) [れ・い]（例）:

shin = shi.n [し・ん]（新）
nihongo = ni.ho.n.go [に・ほ・ん・ご]（日本語）
no = no [の]（の）
kiso = ki.so [き・そ]（基礎）

Hope that the explanation above will give a better picture about Japanese language.

I will blog for Japanese Lesson 2 whenever I have the time. Until then, have fun memorizing the Japanese alphabets/characters!