Writing Japanese Hiragana: An Introductory Japanese Language Workbook: Learn and Practice The Japanese Alphabet

by Jim Gleeson

Mastering written Japanese begins with hands-on practice, and Writing Japanese Hiragana offers the perfect starting point. With a spacious, easy-to-use format, this workbook encourages students to dive right in and start learning.

Written Japanese combines three the phonetic syllabaries hiragana and katakana, along with kanji characters derived from Chinese ideographs. This workbook zeroes in on the forty-six basic hiragana characters, used for native Japanese words not represented by kanji. A solid grasp of hiragana is essential for any dedicated Japanese learner.

Each hiragana character is presented in brushed, handwritten, and typed formats to boost recognition and understanding. Generous writing space allows for ample practice, ensuring each character is memorized accurately and confidently. Charming illustrations and engaging onomatopoeic examples make learning interactive and enjoyable, reinforcing character retention through a fun, memorable approach.

Ideal for both young learners and adults new to Japanese, Writing Japanese Hiragana Grayed-out, trace-over characters for guided practicePractice sentences to reinforce retentionBrief insights into each character's origins, helping foster visual recall
This workbook offers an effective, hands-on introduction to hiragana, making it a valuable tool for beginners of all ages.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japanese Literature

80 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2015

Reviews

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the hiragana characters.

The author is excellent at chunking the information. There will be a few pages of characters, followed by a few pages of practicing those characters with real words and phrases.

These build on each other, eventually leading to tasks such as transcribing and translating letters.