Hiragana t row: た ち つ て と

The idea

The five basic hiragana are た ち つ て と, read ta, chi, tsu, te, to in Hepburn romanization. The chart pairs them with katakana for the same sounds. Read なつ・てがみ as whole words, then find the row’s signs in the example sentences.

Examples

• 犬いぬは小ちいさいです。The dog is small.
• 魚さかなを食たべます。I eat fish.
• 机つくえの上うえに本ほんがあります。There is a book on the desk.
• 友達ともだちと手紙てがみを書かきます。I write a letter with a friend.
• 父ちちは電車でんしゃで行いきます。My father goes by train.
• 夏なつは暑あついです。It is hot in summer.

Watch out

ち and つ are chi and tsu, not ti and tu in Hepburn. Full-sized つ is a sound unit; small っ instead marks a following consonant as long.

Try it yourself

1. Write the hiragana counterpart of チ.

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   ち

   チ and ち represent the same sound, chi; ち is the hiragana form requested.

2. Write the hiragana counterpart of テ.

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   て

   テ and て represent the same sound, te; て is the hiragana form requested.

3. Complete な＿ (summer) with one hiragana character.

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   つ

   なつ means summer; つ completes its spelling.

4. Complete ＿がみ (letter) with one hiragana character.

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   て

   てがみ means letter; て completes its spelling.

Use it today

Cover the chart. Read two words from the examples aloud, write their readings in kana from memory, then compare them with the furigana and chart.