LinguaA consonant plus the five vowels
From here the set is built in rows of five. Take a consonant, put each of the five vowels after it, and you have a row: か き く け こ is ka ki ku ke ko, and さ し す せ そ is sa shi su se so. Notice the second of that row: it is not si but shi, and it is the first of several places where Japanese does not do what the pattern promises.
Three strokes each, and both begin with the same long stroke on the left.
One stroke, three strokes, two strokes. Count them before you write: the count is part of the sign.
The second is a single stroke, and it is the one read as shi.
Two strokes, three, then one – the rest of the row. The last one is written in a single movement, without lifting the finger.
| Row | Signs | Read as |
|---|---|---|
| か | か き く け こ | ka ki ku ke ko |
| さ | さ し す せ そ | sa shi su se so |
Two signs of these rows carry a warning. し is shi, never si, and す is often said with almost no vowel at all at the end of a word. Say them after a native voice rather than after the table; the table is a map, not the road.
さかなfish
かおface
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| かお | face | かおをあらう。 To wash your face. |
| きく | to listen | おんがくをきく。 To listen to music. |
| さかな | fish | さかなをたべる。 To eat fish. |
| すし | sushi | すしがすきです。 I like sushi. |
| せかい | world | ひろいせかい。 A wide world. |
| こえ | voice | おおきいこえ。 A loud voice. |
Exercises
This lesson has 8 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- trace the letter: 2
- fill the gap: 1
- match the pairs: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which sign is read shi and not si?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.