Learn Hiragana with Mnemonics

A person doing a yoga pose, mouth wide open — "Ahh!"

The crossed lines form a person stretching and sighing.

Two parallel lines — like two eels swimming side by side.

Two vertical strokes, like a pair of eels.

A face looking upward with a hat — going "oo!"

The top curve is a head tilted up, going 'oo'.

An energetic dancer with arms spread wide.

The crossing strokes form a figure mid-dance.

A golfer just hit the ball — "Oh!" as it flies away.

The top stroke is the golfer, the curve is the swing.

A blade cutting through something — a katana!

A diagonal slash cutting down — like a katana strike.

Looks like a key — two horizontal teeth and a vertical shaft.

Picture a skeleton key turned sideways.

An angle like a bird's beak going "coo coo".

A simple angle, like a beak.

A keg of beer standing upright with a tap on the side.

The vertical line is the keg, the right stroke is the tap.

Two horizontal lines — like two coins stacked on a counter.

Two parallel lines, simple and flat like coins.

A person sitting cross-legged at a sake bar.

The horizontal line is the bar counter, the curve is them sitting.

A fishing hook — it swoops up to catch fish!

One smooth curved stroke, exactly like a fishhook.

A figure doing a loop on a swing — whoosh!

The vertical line is the rope, the loop is the swing seat.

A mouth opening wide to say something.

The strokes form an open mouth shape, about to speak.

A zigzag line — thread in a sowing needle, back and forth.

Trace the zigzag like thread being pulled through fabric.

Looks like the letters 't' and 'a' combined — ta!

The cross is a 't', the loop adds the 'a'.

A cheerleader with one arm up and a skirt below.

Number 5 shape — like a cheerleader posing.

A tsunami wave! One swooping stroke crashing forward.

Imagine a single powerful wave curling over.

A hand's tendon — horizontal line with a tail curving down.

A flat surface with a curve, like a hand resting on a table.

Looks like a toe — the nail on top, the curve is the toe itself.

A vertical line with a small hook — like a big toe in profile.

A knack for tying — looks like a knot being tied with loops.

The crossed strokes and loop look like a decorative knot.

A knee bending — vertical line is the leg, dashes are the knee.

The vertical line is the leg, the two dashes are the bending knee.

Noodles tangled together in a bowl.

The loops and curves intertwine like messy noodles.

A cat with a curled tail — cats say "ne" in Japanese!

The final loop is a curled cat tail. ね also means 'right?'.

A No Entry sign shape — one circular stroke looping inward.

A single spiral stroke, like a 'no entry' circle.

A person laughing "ha-ha" — two pillars and a smiling curve.

The right side has a little loop like an open laughing mouth.

A big smile — "hee hee!" — the curve is a grinning mouth.

One smooth curve from left to right, like a wide grin.

Mount Fuji! A dot at the peak and slopes on each side.

The dot on top is the summit; the strokes below are the slopes.

A simple peak — like a heap or a hill on the horizon.

The simplest hiragana — just a peak shape, like a rooftop.

A person holding a flag, cheering — "Ho ho ho!" like Santa.

Left vertical is the body, right side is the flag waving.

A mailbox — a post with a horizontal top and a round box.

Vertical post with a round loop at the bottom — a rural mailbox.

Looks like the number 21 — mirror that and you see "mi".

Two small loops stacked — like a fancy number 21.

A mooing cow's face — the curve is the jaw, the dot is the nose.

The final hook and dot look like a cow's face mooing.

An eye — め literally means eye! A loop with a line through it.

め literally means 'eye' in Japanese — the shape matches.

A fish hook catching more and more fish.

Two horizontal lines (fish) hooked on a curved line.

A yak — the left stroke is the horn, the right is the shaggy body.

A strong diagonal and a curve — like a horned yak in profile.

A fish swimming, doing a U-turn through the current.

The flowing strokes look like a fish curving through water.

A yo-yo dangling from a string.

A vertical line (string) with a loop at the bottom (the yo-yo).

A person bowing at a ramen shop — the curve is their bent back.

A quick downstroke and a curve — like a polite bow.

Two river reeds blowing gracefully in the wind.

Two flowing vertical strokes, graceful and natural.

A kangaroo's curling tail — kangaroo!

A stroke that loops at the bottom, like a curling tail.

A person reaching out their arm to grab something.

Left vertical is the body, right curve is the outstretched arm.

A road curving ahead — a single sweeping stroke with a bend.

One stroke that curves smoothly — like a winding road.

A swan on water — the left line is the neck, the loop is the body.

An elegant shape, like a swan gliding on a lake.

A wobbly character doing a twist — the fanciest hiragana.

Only used as the object particle. Learn it once, see it everywhere.

The only standalone consonant — looks like a cursive 'n'.

A smooth curve, like a lowercase 'n' written quickly. The loner of hiragana.