Lesson 5 of 16
N row
Back to regular: na, ni, nu, ne, no. Note that の looks like a no-entry swirl.
Pronunciation
How it sounds
n is the usual English n, with the tip of your tongue on the ridge behind your upper teeth. ぬ is nu, said with relaxed lips. The lone syllable ん comes in lesson 10.
Reading tips
Easy to mix up
ぬ and め (lesson 7) both have a loop. ぬ finishes with a small curl; め doesn't.
ね, れ, and わ share a long stroke on the left. ね ends in a loop, れ in an open flick, and わ in a round curve.
A Nostril: the loop is the nose. Say "na".
A Knee: two lines for the leg and a small bend in the middle. Say "nee".
Noodles and chopsticks in a bowl.
Next train arrives at 12:00. The loop is a clock.
No smoking: the kana is the swirl of smoke in the sign.
Real vocabulary
Words you can read now
いぬ
inu
dog
ねこ
neko
cat
なに
nani
what
にく
niku
meat
さかな
sakana
fish
なつ
natsu
summer