Learning to write doubles or triples how long it takes to learn hiragana, with very little real-life benefit. Learning to read can be done very quickly and is very useful. Most of your written communication comes in the form of typing. When's the last time you actually wrote something by hand? Probably the last time you had to sign your name on a receipt at a restaurant. No Writing: 'WHAT? NO WRITING!?' you scream.

It's amazing what you are able to memorize when using a mnemonic method. If this is you, I recommend you give it a serious try. For a long time I believed that mnemonics were a waste of time. Each hiragana character has a memorable illustration that goes along with it. Mnemonics: Due to hiragana's relative simplicity (at least compared to kanji), image-based mnemonics are a perfect method for memorization. To make this possible, you will employ a few important methods. How long it takes depends on you, but if you follow the steps laid out below, you'll come out the other side with the ability to read hiragana. Some people have reported back that they could read all the hiragana after a few hours, using this method.

You should be able to learn everything in a couple days. Many classes and individuals spend months learning hiragana. In essence, it's the first step to learn Japanese. There are no (good) Japanese textbooks or learning resources that don't require you to know hiragana. It will also open doors in terms of the Japanese resources you can use. By learning hiragana, you will learn the basics of Japanese pronunciation. To learn hiragana is to create a foundation for the rest of your Japanese.

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