IJ-0009 — Hiragana ま・み・む・め・も | Indomura Japanese
INDOMURA JAPANESE · FOUNDATION · HIRAGANA
IJ-0009 · FOUNDATION
Foundation · Hiragana 07 · IJ-0009

Japanese starts describing the world around you.

ま・み・む・め・も

Today you add five new hiragana and begin using simple describing words with familiar nouns. Japanese stops being only about naming things — you can now begin saying what they are like.

Everyday objects
Today you’ll learn

Five new sounds. One new way to notice the world.

Read ま・み・む・め・もRecognize, hear and write five new hiragana.
Read useful wordsまど, みみ, むし, め, もも and more.
Describe simple thingsUse describing word + noun + です.
Listen more naturallyCompare careful and natural-speed Japanese.
Meet the new row

ま・み・む・め・も

ま
MA
み
MI
む
MU
め
ME
も
MO
ま み む め も
Hear the full row slowly and clearly.
Shape laboratory

Learn the silhouette, not only the sound.

Two useful comparisons are ま vs も and み vs め.

まも

ま has a fuller crossing structure. も feels simpler and more open.

みめ

み and め can look similar at speed. Watch their movement and overall balance.

Kana Writing Studio · 書いてみよう

One character at a time.

Select a kana, play the stroke order once, then trace it with your eyes before writing it yourself.

ま
MA · 3 strokes
Begin with the upper horizontal strokes, then keep the lower movement balanced and relaxed.
READY · SELECT → PLAY → WATCH → TRACE → WRITE
Vocabulary

Small words you can actually recognize.

まど
window
みみ
ear
むし
insect
め
eye
もも
peach
まえ
front / before
No-romaji reading challenge

Let your eyes do the work.

Try reading these before checking meaning.

まど みみ むし め もも まえ
New language idea

Japanese can describe a noun directly.

For now, notice the pattern rather than memorizing a grammar label: a describing word can come directly before the noun.

Big and small boxes
A big box.
A small box.
Red clothes.
A white flower.
Red clothing
Mini conversation

Notice → ask → describe.

You already know how to ask a question. Now the answer can contain a simple description.

A
これは なんですか。
What is this?
B
はこです。
It is a box.
A
おおきい はこですか。
Is it a big box?
B
はい、おおきい はこです。
Yes, it is a big box.
A
あかい ふくですか。
Are they red clothes?
B
はい、あかい ふくです。
Yes, they are red clothes.
Life in Japan

Short descriptions are useful everywhere.

At a shop, station, office or home, you often need to identify an object by size, colour or another visible feature.

Keep it shortJapanese does not need an English-style full sentence every time.
Use contextIf both people can see the object, a short noun phrase may be enough.
Build graduallyLater lessons will expand adjective patterns properly.
Listening laboratory

Hear what you already know.

Careful vs natural

Listen to the same sentence at two speaking styles.

Listen & choose

Play the sound, then choose what you heard.

Contrast & retrieval

Can you recognize these without looking first?

35OF 46 BASIC
HIRAGANA
What I can do now

You can read more, hear more and say a little more.

✓ I can recognize ま・み・む・め・も.
✓ I can read simple words such as まど, みみ and もも.
✓ I can understand simple describing word + noun patterns.
✓ I can hear familiar material at careful and natural speed.
Next · IJ-0010
や・ゆ・よ

Japanese begins placing things in the world.

IJ-0010 moves into location and direction while adding the next hiragana group.