Once you know the basic hiragana, you get 25 more almost for free. Two marks change how a character sounds.
Dakuten ゛
Two small strokes at the top right make the consonant voiced:
| Row | becomes |
|---|---|
| k (か) | g (が) |
| s (さ) | z (ざ) |
| t (た) | d (だ) |
| h (は) | b (ば) |
Say k and g with your hand on your throat: g buzzes. That buzz is what dakuten adds.
Handakuten ゜
A small circle works only on the h row, and turns it into p: ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ.
The odd ones
- じ and ぢ are both ji; ず and づ are both zu. Use じ and ず almost always. ぢ and づ mostly appear where a word joins two parts, such as はなぢ (hanaji, nosebleed: はな nose + ち blood).
- The h row's ふ (fu) becomes ぶ (bu) and ぷ (pu).
Words to try
- ごはん (gohan): rice, or a meal
- ぶた (buta): pig
- さんぽ (sanpo): a walk
- でんわ (denwa): telephone