| hira |
kata |
kanji |
roma |
mnemonic |
| あ |
ア |
安 |
a |
law cross of no-swimming
law cross, now bent into an arm
AN / yasu(i) - peaceful, cheap
|
| い |
イ |
以 |
i |
skiing downhill, overhead view of ski tips
ski pole handle, tilted steep-slope sign
I - from, by means of
|
| う |
ウ |
宇 |
u |
U - universe
|
| え |
エ |
|
e |
engineering diagram distance bracket
|
| お |
オ |
|
o |
|
| か |
カ |
加 |
ka |
|
| き |
キ |
幾 |
ki |
|
| く |
ク |
久 |
ku |
cooing mouth (and 2nd part of a 'K')
KYUU/hisa(shii) - long time
|
| け |
ケ |
計 |
ke |
cape and dagger
a cape hanging from an arm
possibly: KEI / haka(ru|rau) - plan, calculate
|
| こ |
コ |
己 |
ko |
combs, above/below, teeth facing teeth
comb with 90 degree corners
|
| さ |
サ |
左 |
sa |
SA/hidari - left
|
| し |
シ |
|
shi |
(variation like つ->ツ)
|
| す |
ス |
寸 |
su |
a super soupspoon with hilt
a soupbowl with handle
|
| せ |
セ |
世 |
se |
SE/SEI/yo - period, world
|
| そ |
ソ |
曽 |
so |
|
| た |
タ |
太 |
ta |
a spinning top (w/ motion lines)
TAI / TA / foro(i|ru) -- great, thick
|
| ち |
チ |
知 |
chi |
chi-master sitting with arms outstretched
chi-master with arms outstretched
|
| つ |
ツ |
川 |
tsu |
"2", top part.
"2", top part,
(variation like し->シ)
|
| て |
テ |
夭 |
te |
"T" in gaElic cursive form
(downstroke also matches first stroke of gaelic "E")
tempermental (lightningstrike) heavenly cloud (overbar)
TEN/ama/ame - heavens
|
| と |
ト |
止 |
to |
your toe with a thorn in it
a thorn your toe might get stuck on
SHI/to(maru|meru) - stop
|
| な |
ナ |
奈 |
na |
naughty person (arms outstretched)
spying on crosslegged person, facing right
naughty person (arms outstretched),
after crosslegged person flees
|
| に |
ニ |
仁 |
ni |
kneecaps (ni with a cap)
(like symbol for 'two', pronounced 'ni')
|
| ぬ |
ヌ |
奴 |
nu |
noo (an 'n' plus two 'o' loops)
noodle hanging out of a bowl
|
| ね |
ネ |
祢 |
ne |
"n" with "e" in tail
"nekkid" man behind tail of shower curtain
|
| の |
ノ |
乃 |
no |
the "no-" (or this-is-banned) symbolt
the "no-" part of the 'banned' symbol
(mne: no-step)
|
| は |
ハ |
|
ha |
a split 'h' but has a head like 'ma'
halved stick, gives hatchi (8) or hashi (chopsticks)
|
| ひ |
ヒ |
|
(k)hi |
heehee - a huge smile
heel, top outline view
heel, side view of back of shoe with pull-on tab
A tired, hindered hippy sitting on his hips at noon, hitching
|
| ふ |
フ |
不 |
hu |
foodbowl, profile of right edge
|
| へ |
ヘ |
|
he |
haystack
haystack
|
| ほ |
ホ |
保 |
ho |
a split 'h', rhymes with 2-barred 'mo'
(tilt head right): "'ho' with an underline"
|
| ま |
マ |
|
ma |
mama - notice the arms and head
mama's upperarm, lowerarm, and hand
|
| み |
ミ |
|
mi |
"m", rotated left, no overbar
|
| む |
ム |
|
mu |
muu-cow (head at left, tail at right)
muu-cow's noseridge and nostril flare
|
| め |
メ |
女 |
me |
the backslashed 'no' means you 'may'
the backslashed 'no' means you 'may'
JO/NYO/ME/onna - woman
|
| も |
モ |
|
mo |
a "mo" (vietnamese spoon) w/ hilt
|
| や |
ヤ |
|
ya |
yard hummock, complete with weed
yard hummock, after weeding
|
| ゆ |
ユ |
由 |
yu |
a finger, tied with string, pointing at YOU
a U-boat's periscope
YU / YUU / yoshi - reason
|
| よ |
ヨ |
|
yo |
looks like a 'y' and 'o' together
yoke for two cows, overhead view
|
| ら |
ラ |
良 |
ra(/la) |
ra the god, sitting facing right
ramen piled high in a bowl, profile
|
| り |
リ |
利 |
ri(/di) |
a 'r'-'i' ligature
just the sides of the hiragana symbol
|
| る |
ル |
留 |
ru(pal.
trill,1) |
roo ('ro' + a 2nd 'o' at the bottom)
add a line; it's 'r' or 'u' in lowercase cursive
|
| れ |
レ |
礼 |
re(/le) |
|
| ろ |
ロ |
呂 |
ro(/go) |
round kana, squared off
|
| わ |
ワ |
和 |
wa |
watery swell at the last pier-post
watery swell, squared and flat
|
| ん |
ン |
|
n |
looks like a small 'n' with a long stem
looks like an apostrophe-'n' ('no', actually)
|
| を |
ヲ |
|
[w]o |
woman needs 't.l.c.' (tender loving care)
woefully split foodbowl
|