Dakuten and Combinations: Hiragana Flashcards Guide
How the little dots turn か into が, when to write ぢ and づ, and how a small ゃ makes きゃ. Charts with audio and a plan for your flashcards.
Know the 46 basic hiragana? Then you're ready for the next step, and it's easier than it looks. Two little marks and a few small characters give you dozens of new sounds, with no new shapes to learn.
This guide covers dakuten, handakuten and combinations, with charts you can listen to and a plan for adding them to your hiragana flashcards.
What Are Dakuten and Combinations?
- Dakuten is the pair of little dots ( ゛). It turns か (ka) into が (ga).
- Handakuten is a small circle ( ゜). It turns は (ha) into ぱ (pa).
- Combinations join a character with a small ゃ (ya), ゅ (yu) or ょ (yo): き (ki) + ゃ (ya) = きゃ (kya).
Together they give you 25 dakuten sounds and 33 combinations. That covers almost every sound in Japanese.
How Does Dakuten Change the Sound?
The two dots make the sound "voiced", which just means your throat buzzes. Try saying k then g with your hand on your throat. The g buzzes.
| Row | a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| か → が | が (ga) | ぎ (gi) | ぐ (gu) | げ (ge) | ご (go) |
| さ → ざ | ざ (za) | じ (ji) | ず (zu) | ぜ (ze) | ぞ (zo) |
| た → だ | だ (da) | ぢ (ji) | づ (zu) | で (de) | ど (do) |
| は → ば | ば (ba) | び (bi) | ぶ (bu) | べ (be) | ぼ (bo) |
| は → ぱ | ぱ (pa) | ぴ (pi) | ぷ (pu) | ぺ (pe) | ぽ (po) |
Notice the は (ha) row splits two ways: dots give b, the circle gives p. Only the は (ha) row takes the circle.
Can two little dots change a word?
Yes, all the time. Listen to these pairs. The only difference is the dakuten, and the meaning changes completely.
| Without dots | Meaning | With dots | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| かき (kaki) | persimmon | かぎ (kagi) | key |
| てんき (tenki) | weather | でんき (denki) | electricity, a light |
| ふた (futa) | lid | ぶた (buta) | pig |
| さる (saru) | monkey | ざる (zaru) | colander, strainer |
That's why it pays to check the top right corner of every character. On flashcards, it's the first thing to look at.
Words with dakuten
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
かぎ | kagi | key |
ごはん | gohan | rice, a meal |
かぜ | kaze | wind; a cold |
かぞく | kazoku | family |
だれ | dare | who |
でんわ | denwa | telephone |
どこ | doko | where |
かばん | kaban | bag |
ぶた | buta | pig |
えんぴつ | enpitsu | pencil |
さんぽ | sanpo | a walk |
てんぷら | tenpura | tempura |
じ (ji) or ぢ (ji)? ず (zu) or づ (zu)?
Each pair sounds the same. Normally you write じ (ji) and ず (zu). Japan's official spelling rules keep ぢ (ji) and づ (zu) for two cases.
- A repeated sound: ちぢむ (chijimu, to shrink), つづく (tsuzuku, to continue).
- Two words joined: はな (hana, nose) + ち (chi, blood) = はなぢ (hanaji, nosebleed).
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
ちぢむ | chijimu | to shrink (ち repeated: ちぢ) |
つづく | tsuzuku | to continue (つ repeated: つづ) |
はなぢ | hanaji | nosebleed (はな nose + ち blood) |
みかづき | mikazuki | crescent moon (みか + つき moon) |
こづつみ | kozutsumi | parcel (こ + つつみ package) |
In the flashcards, ぢ (ji) and づ (zu) ask for the sound, so type ji and zu.
How Do Hiragana Combinations Work?
Take a character from the i column, like き (ki), し (shi) or ち (chi). Add a small ゃ (ya), ゅ (yu) or ょ (yo). Then say the two as one quick sound.
| + ゃ (ya) | + ゅ (yu) | + ょ (yo) |
|---|---|---|
| きゃ (kya) | きゅ (kyu) | きょ (kyo) |
| しゃ (sha) | しゅ (shu) | しょ (sho) |
| ちゃ (cha) | ちゅ (chu) | ちょ (cho) |
| にゃ (nya) | にゅ (nyu) | にょ (nyo) |
| ひゃ (hya) | ひゅ (hyu) | ひょ (hyo) |
| みゃ (mya) | みゅ (myu) | みょ (myo) |
| りゃ (rya) | りゅ (ryu) | りょ (ryo) |
| ぎゃ (gya) | ぎゅ (gyu) | ぎょ (gyo) |
| じゃ (ja) | じゅ (ju) | じょ (jo) |
| びゃ (bya) | びゅ (byu) | びょ (byo) |
| ぴゃ (pya) | ぴゅ (pyu) | ぴょ (pyo) |
Watch the し (shi), ち (chi) and じ (ji) rows: the romaji drops the y. しゃ (sha), ちゅ (chu), じょ (jo).
Why does the small character matter?
A big や (ya) is two beats. A small ゃ (ya) is one. Sometimes that's the whole difference between two words.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
びよういん | biyouin | hair salon: bi-yo-u-i-n, big よ |
びょういん | byouin | hospital: byo-u-i-n, small ょ |
じゆう | jiyuu | freedom: ji-yu-u, big ゆ |
じゅう | juu | ten: ju-u, small ゅ |
Words with combinations
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
おちゃ | ocha | tea |
しゃしん | shashin | photo |
でんしゃ | densha | train |
きょう | kyou | today |
りょこう | ryokou | trip, travel |
ひゃく | hyaku | a hundred |
じゅう | juu | ten |
びょういん | byouin | hospital |
ぎゅうにゅう | gyuunyuu | milk |
しゅくだい | shukudai | homework |
としょかん | toshokan | library |
じゃま | jama | in the way, a nuisance |
How Do You Add These to Your Hiragana Flashcards?
- Start with dakuten. In the hiragana flashcards, tick a dakuten row next to the basic row it comes from, like か (ka) and が (ga).
- Add one or two rows a day. Review the earlier rows first each time.
- Then the combinations. Learn them a few starting characters at a time, saying each as one beat.
- Read words, not just characters. Words like でんしゃ (densha, train) make it stick.
- Days 1 to 3: two dakuten rows a day, next to their basic rows.
- Day 4: all five dakuten rows, shuffled.
- Days 5 to 7: four combination rows a day.
- Every day: review yesterday first, and say each sound out loud.
- Read the word tables above until they feel easy.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Dakuten and Combinations?
About a week, at 15 minutes a day. Dakuten goes fastest, because the shapes are ones you already know. Many learners have all 25 sounds in three or four days.
Combinations take a little longer, mainly because you need to hear and say them as one beat. Reading words is what gets you there, so spend a few minutes on the word tables each day.
Any Tips to Remember Them?
- Dots mean buzz. Think of the two dots as a buzzing sound in your throat: g, z, d and b all buzz.
- The circle is a pop. Picture your lips making a little circle as they pop out a p: ぱ (pa), ぴ (pi), ぷ (pu).
- Small means quick. A small ゃ (ya), ゅ (yu) or ょ (yo) is squeezed into the sound before it, so say it fast.
What Mistakes Do Beginners Make?
- Missing the dots. か (ka) and が (ga) are different sounds, and かき (kaki) and かぎ (kagi) are different words. Look at the top right corner every time.
- Mixing up dots and circle. ば (ba) has dots, ぱ (pa) has a circle.
- Writing the small ゃ (ya) full size. Make it clearly smaller, or you've written two sounds.
- Saying combinations as two beats. きゃ (kya) is one quick sound, not "ki-ya".
What Comes Next?
- Small っ (tsu), long vowels and the particles は (wa), へ (e) and を (o): Hiragana Spelling Rules.
- Lots of real words to read: Hiragana Reading Practice.
- Then katakana, which uses the same sounds: Katakana Flashcards.
Where Can You Practise for Free?
The five dakuten rows are free in the hiragana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com, along with the 46 basic characters. Each character has audio. The combination sets are part of Premium, and the deck below is free.
Practise the Words
Tap a card to flip it.
Frequently asked questions
What is dakuten?
Dakuten is the pair of little dots ( ゛) on the top right of a character. It changes the sound: か (ka) becomes が (ga).
What's the difference between dakuten and handakuten?
Dakuten is two dots and gives g, z, d or b sounds. Handakuten is a small circle ( ゜) and only goes on the は (ha) row, giving pa, pi, pu, pe, po.
Are じ (ji) and ぢ (ji) the same sound?
Yes. They sound the same, and じ (ji) is the usual spelling. ぢ (ji) only appears in a few words, like はなぢ (hanaji, nosebleed).
How many hiragana combinations are there?
There are 33 common ones, like きゃ (kya), しゅ (shu) and ちょ (cho). Each is one character from the i column plus a small ゃ (ya), ゅ (yu) or ょ (yo).
Why does the small ゃ (ya) matter?
Size changes the word. びょういん (byouin) with a small ょ (yo) is a hospital, but びよういん (biyouin) with a big よ (yo) is a hair salon.
Should I learn dakuten before combinations?
Yes. Dakuten adds 25 sounds with no new shapes, and combinations use some dakuten characters, like ぎゃ (gya).
Add Dakuten to Your Hiragana Flashcards Today
Two dots, one circle and three small characters: that's all it takes to read nearly every sound in Japanese. Add a row or two a day to your hiragana flashcards and you'll have them in a week.
Open the free hiragana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com and tick the が (ga) row next to the か (ka) row.
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō), Modern Kana Usage (Gendai kanazukai), Cabinet Notice No. 1, 1986: rules for ぢ (ji) and づ (zu), and small ゃ (ya), ゅ (yu), ょ (yo). https://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/sisaku/joho/joho/kijun/naikaku/gendaikana/honbun_dai2.html