Lesson 3 of 16
S row
The s row has one surprise: し is shi, not si. The rest follow the pattern.
Pronunciation
How it sounds
s is the English s, except し is shi (like she), never si. At the end of a word you will often hear す nearly whispered: です sounds closer to des.
Reading tips
Easy to mix up
さ and き look alike. き has two horizontal bars; さ has one.
し is a tall, simple hook. つ (next lesson) is a wide, flat wave.
す has no extra strokes. む (lesson 7) adds a short stroke at the upper right.
sa
Socks: two socks hanging side by side. Say "sa".
shi
A Sheep, with the kana as its curly wool and mouth.
su
A Soup ladle in a pot. Say "su".
se
A Security guard with a badge on his hat.
so
Sew a stitch: a needle and thread. Say "so".
Real vocabulary
Words you can read now
あさ
asa
morning
すき
suki
like
しお
shio
salt
うそ
uso
lie
いす
isu
chair
かさ
kasa
umbrella