Hiragana: T/N/H Rows

This lesson adds 15 more hiragana characters to your repertoire — the T row, N row, and H row. The T row has two important irregular readings, and the H row introduces the unique Japanese "f" sound.

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The T Row (た行)

The T row has two irregular readings: ち (chi) and つ (tsu).

Character	Romaji	Pronunciation Tip	Example Word
た	ta	"tah" as in "taco"	たまご (tamago) — egg
ち	chi	"chee" as in "cheese" (NOT "ti")	ちず (chizu) — map
つ	tsu	"tsoo" — like "cats" without the "ca"	つき (tsuki) — moon
て	te	"teh" as in "ten"	てがみ (tegami) — letter
と	to	"toh" as in "toe"	とけい (tokei) — clock

Stroke Order Tips

• た (ta) — 4 strokes. Horizontal line, vertical line, a curve, then a small separate dot-like stroke.
• ち (chi) — 2 strokes. A horizontal line then a sweeping curve downward. Think of the number 5 tilted.
• つ (tsu) — 1 stroke. A single sweeping curve. Looks like a smile.
• て (te) — 1 stroke. A single horizontal-to-curve stroke. Think of a gentle wave.
• と (to) — 2 strokes. A vertical curve and a small separate stroke to its right.

Memory Aid: ち (chi) has a shape like a chicken's beak. つ (tsu) looks like a tsunami wave.

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Important Irregularities in the T Row

Expected	Actual	Why
ta	ta	Regular
ti	chi	"t" before "i" becomes "ch" in Japanese
tu	tsu	"t" before "u" becomes "ts" in Japanese
te	te	Regular
to	to	Regular

These are not random — they reflect how the Japanese tongue naturally produces these consonant-vowel combinations.

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The N Row (な行)

The N row is completely regular — no surprises.

Character	Romaji	Pronunciation Tip	Example Word
な	na	"nah" as in "naan bread"	なつ (natsu) — summer
に	ni	"nee" as in "knee"	にく (niku) — meat
ぬ	nu	"noo" as in "noodle"	いぬ (inu) — dog
ね	ne	"neh" as in "never"	ねこ (neko) — cat
の	no	"noh" as in "no"	のみもの (nomimono) — drink

Stroke Order Tips

• な (na) — 4 strokes. Horizontal, vertical, a curve, and a loop.
• に (ni) — 3 strokes. A vertical line on the left, then two short horizontal strokes on the right.
• ぬ (nu) — 2 strokes. A complex character with a looping end. Similar to め (me) but with a different loop direction.
• ね (ne) — 2 strokes. Starts like a vertical line then flows into a complex curve with a loop.
• の (no) — 1 stroke. A single spiral stroke. One of the most recognisable hiragana.

Memory Aid: ね (ne) looks like it is nesting — a curled-up animal. の (no) is like the "no entry" circle.

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The H Row (は行)

The H row is regular except for ふ (fu), which has a unique pronunciation.