Learn Hiragana & Katakana

---
name: learn-hiragana-katakana
description: Master the two Japanese writing systems
author: mager
version: 1.0.0
---

# Learn Hiragana & Katakana

Before you can read anything in Japanese, you need these two alphabets. Hiragana is for native Japanese words. Katakana is for foreign words (like コーヒー = coffee). Together they're your foundation.

## How to Use This Skill

Tell your AI agent: "I want to learn hiragana" or "Quiz me on katakana." It will guide you through characters in groups of 5, using mnemonics and spaced repetition.

## Hiragana (ひらがな) — 46 Characters

### The Vowels (Start Here)
| Character | Romaji | Mnemonic |
|-----------|--------|----------|
| あ | a | Looks like an **a**ntenna on a head |
| い | i | Two **i**ce cream sticks standing up |
| う | u | A mouth saying "**oo**" |
| え | e | An **e**nergetic gymnast |
| お | o | A golf ball rolling into a hole — "**o**h!" |

### K-Row
| ka | ki | ku | ke | ko |
|----|----|----|----|----|
| か | き | く | け | こ |

### S-Row
| sa | shi | su | se | so |
|----|-----|----|----|-----|
| さ | し | す | せ | そ |

### T-Row
| ta | chi | tsu | te | to |
|----|-----|-----|----|----|
| た | ち | つ | て | と |

### N-Row
| na | ni | nu | ne | no |
|----|----|----|----|----|
| な | に | ぬ | ね | の |

### H-Row
| ha | hi | fu | he | ho |
|----|----|----|----|----|
| は | ひ | ふ | へ | ほ |

### M-Row
| ma | mi | mu | me | mo |
|----|----|----|----|----|
| ま | み | む | め | も |

### Y-Row
| ya | yu | yo |
|----|----|----|
| や | ゆ | よ |

### R-Row
| ra | ri | ru | re | ro |
|----|----|----|----|----|
| ら | り | る | れ | ろ |

### W-Row + N
| wa | wo | n |
|----|----|----|
| わ | を | ん |

## Katakana (カタカナ) — 46 Characters

Katakana mirrors hiragana but with sharper, more angular shapes. Used for:
- Foreign words: コンピューター (computer), ピザ (pizza)
- Sound effects: ドキドキ (heartbeat), ガタガタ (rattling)
- Emphasis (like italics in English)

### The Vowels
| Character | Romaji | Mnemonic |
|-----------|--------|----------|
| ア | a | An **a**xe chopping |
| イ | i | An **ea**sel standing |
| ウ | u | Looks like a boxing glove — "**oo**f!" |
| エ | e | An **e**levator with floors |
| オ | o | A figure skating — "**o**lympics!" |

### Practice Method

1. **Learn 5 characters per session** — don't rush
2. **Write them** — use your finger on a table, pen on paper, anything
3. **Flash card mode** — ask your agent to quiz you randomly
4. **Read real words** — your agent will show words using only characters you know
5. **Daily review** — 5 minutes of review beats 1 hour once a week

## Agent Behavior

- Start with hiragana vowels, then move row by row
- Only introduce katakana after hiragana is solid (or if user requests)
- Use mnemonics generously — visual memory beats rote memorization
- Quiz in both directions: show character → user says romaji, AND say romaji → user writes character
- Track which characters the user struggles with and review those more often
- Celebrate milestones: "You now know 20 characters — that's almost half of hiragana!"
- Mix in simple words using learned characters: し + た = した (did)