Ga Gi Gu

Hiragana 2

Chapter 1 Β· Ga Gi Gu

🌸 Two Tiny Dots β€” γ‚› と が ぎ ぐ

In Hiragana 1 you learned all 46 basic characters. This course adds the rest of the everyday sounds, and it is easier than it sounds: every new character is a character you already know with a small mark added. Today we meet the first mark, γ‚› (dakuten, "two dots"), and use it on the K row to make が (ga), ぎ (gi) and ぐ (gu). Romaji is shown for everything.

〰️ What the Dakuten Does β€” 濁点

The dakuten is two short strokes at the top right of a character. It changes the consonant from unvoiced (no vibration in your throat) to voiced (your voice box buzzes): k β†’ g, s β†’ z, t β†’ d, h β†’ b. The vowel never changes.

PlainWith γ‚›Sound beforeSound now
kaga
kigi
kugu
Feel the Difference Put two fingers on your throat and whisper "k", then say "g". Only the "g" buzzes under your fingers. That buzz is the only difference between か and が. The mark itself is small: write it after the main character, as two quick short strokes at the top right (check the stroke-order page for the direction).
aiueo
kかきくけこ
g (k + γ‚›)γŒγŽγγ’γ”

The three highlighted characters are today's. げ and ご come in Chapter 2.

✨ Three New Characters β€” が ぎ ぐ

が
ga
like "ga" in gap, a hard g ("gah")
5 strokes Β· stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: ka with its two dots, like a karate fighter shouting "ga!". The three strokes of か plus two for the mark.
ぎ
gi
like "gee" in geese, a hard g, short ("gee")
6 strokes Β· stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: a key that has grown two dots: き + γ‚›. The hard g, never as in giant.
ぐ
gu
like "goo" in goose, relaxed lips ("goo")
3 strokes Β· stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: a cuckoo's beak with two dots: く + γ‚› (a one-stroke く plus two strokes for the mark).
Always a Hard G Japanese g is always the hard sound of go and get, never the soft sound of giant or gem. So ぎ is "gee", like geese, and not "jee".
A Softer G in the Middle of a Word Many Japanese speakers, especially in Tokyo, say the が-row sounds with a soft "ng" (like the end of sing) when they appear in the middle of a word, so γ‹γŽ may sound a little like "ka-ngi". You don't need to copy this: the plain hard "g" is always understood. Just know that you may hear it.

πŸ“– Read It β€” New Words

You now know all 46 basic hiragana plus three new ones, so you can read many words. Read the Japanese first, then check the romaji.

#WordRomajiEnglishNote
1gakuseistudentga-ku-se-i: the が of ガ-γ‚―
2ginkōbankgi-n-ko-u: the こう is a long o, more in Hiragana 3
3eigafilm, moviee-i-ga
4kagikeyka-gi
5gaikokuforeign countryga-i-ko-ku
6mangamanga, comicma-n-ga
7meganeglassesme-ga-ne
8kagakuscienceka-ga-ku
9guaicondition, stategu-a-i; as in "How are you feeling?"
10gakapainter, artistga-ka
Real Japanese Tip β€” γ‚“ Before が In words like γΎγ‚“γŒ (manga) and γŽγ‚“γ“γ† (bank), the γ‚“ is a full beat of its own, and it is pronounced slightly differently depending on what follows it. Don't worry about this yet: just give γ‚“ a full beat, as you did in Hiragana 1.
Review: Words from Hiragana 1 A quick check that the basics are still there: (arigatō, thank you), (sayōnara, goodbye), (Nihon, Japan). Notice that already contains a が, which you could not read as a single character until today.

✍️ Try It Yourself β€” γ‚Œγ‚“γ—γ‚…γ†

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. What does the dakuten γ‚› do to a consonant?

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It makes it voiced: k β†’ g, s β†’ z, t β†’ d, h β†’ b. The vowel stays the same.

2. Read aloud: Β· Β·

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ga Β· gi Β· gu

3. Read aloud and translate: Β· Β·

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kagi (key) Β· eiga (film) Β· megane (glasses)

4. Read aloud and translate: Β· Β·

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gakusei (student) · ginkō (bank) · gaikoku (foreign country)

5. What is the only difference between and ?

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The voice: ka is unvoiced; ga is voiced (your throat buzzes).

6. Write in hiragana: kagi Β· manga Β· kagaku (check the stroke order).

Show answer

Β· Β·

Coming Up in Chapter 2 The rest of the G row: げ (ge) and ご (go). You'll be able to read げんき (well), ごはん (rice, a meal), γŸγΎγ” (egg), and a polite phrase you will use often: ごめんγͺさい (I'm sorry).