G
ガギグゲゴ — The G Row
01
Why the G row is just the K row + ゛
The G row isn't new shapes — it's the K row with a dakuten (゛): カ→ガ, キ→ギ, ク→グ, ケ→ゲ, コ→ゴ. Those two small ticks at the upper right voice the consonant, turning a hard “k” into a hard “g.” This is the first of four dakuten rows (G, Z, D, B); learn the mark once and it works the same everywhere.
K row + ゛ = G row: write the base katakana exactly as you know it, then add two small ticks at the upper right — quick, tiny, clearly above the body. The shape stays; only the sound is voiced.
02
Pronunciation at a glance
03
Loanwords built on the G row
The G row opens a wide field of everyday loanwords. Here are two for each character.
ガスgasugas
ガイドgaidoguide
ギターgitāguitar
ギフトgifutogift
グループgurūpugroup
グラスgurasuglass (drinking)
ゲームgēmugame
ゲストgesutoguest
ゴルフgorufugolf
ゴールgōrugoal
04
What's next
Next is the ザ-row (ザ ジ ズ ゼ ゾ) — the S row with a dakuten, voicing “s” into “z” (and シ→ジ into “ji”).