KYAKYUKYO Hiragana Flashcards — Printable, Front and Back

Free Printable Hiragana Flashcards for Beginners

These KYAKYUKYO hiragana flashcards drill the first set of yōon combined kana — き plus a small ゃ, ゅ, or ょ. The combination produces a single syllable (kya, kyu, kyo), not two separate sounds (ki-ya). The small ゃ/ゅ/ょ is visibly smaller than the full-size kana — that size difference is what marks it as a combiner.

You get double-sided flashcards printed on letter-size paper (8.5 × 11 inches). The front of each card shows the Japanese word in hiragana; the back shows the English meaning plus the romaji reading. The KY combined kana unlock essential vocabulary: 客 (kyaku, "guest"), 教室 (kyoushitsu, "classroom"), 急に (kyuu ni, "suddenly"), 今日 (kyou, "today"), 興味 (kyoumi, "interest").

What's on each card?

• Front: the Japanese word written in large hiragana, with the romaji pronunciation below.
• Back: the English meaning, mirrored so it lines up with the front when you print double-sided.
• Subtle StudyHiragana.com watermark on each card so the deck stays branded after cutting.

How to print and assemble

• Click the Print button above (or press Ctrl/Cmd + P).
• Choose two-sided printing and flip on the long edge — this keeps front and back aligned.
• Use standard 8.5" × 11" letter paper. Card stock works too if you want sturdier cards.
• Cut along the dashed lines to separate the six cards on each sheet.
• Optional: laminate the cards for longer life.

How to study with hiragana flashcards

The point of beginner hiragana flashcards isn't just memorising characters — it's connecting them to real vocabulary the moment you learn them. Use the deck this way:

• Hold a card so only the front (hiragana) is visible. Read it aloud and try to recall the meaning.
• Flip the card to check. If you got it right, set it in a "knew it" pile; if not, return it to the deck.
• Shuffle and repeat until the "didn't know it" pile is empty.
• Switch directions: look at the English meaning and try to recall the hiragana spelling. This is harder but builds active recall.

Why combined kana matter

Combined kana — also called yōon — let Japanese spell sounds that don't fit on the basic chart. Pair any i-row character (き, し, ち, に, ひ, み, り, plus their dakuten/handakuten variants) with a small ゃ, ゅ, or ょ, and you get a single syllable: き(ki) + ゃ(small ya) → きゃ(kya), one sound, not two. The small kana is unmistakably smaller than the full-size one — typically about half the height, tucked into the lower-right area of the preceding character. Combined kana appear in countless everyday words across every register, from greetings (今日 kyou "today") to academics (教科書 kyoukasho "textbook") to feelings (興味 kyoumi "interest").

Keep practising

After you've mastered these KYAKYUKYO flashcards, deepen your hiragana skills with our other free tools:

• Interactive きゃきゅきょ guide — pronunciation, stroke order, and a writing canvas to practice each character.
• Printable hiragana flashcards by character — single-character flashcard sheets for each row of the chart.
• Full hiragana chart — all 46 basic hiragana characters at a glance.
• StudyHiragana.com home — interactive practice with stroke order, recall games, and spaced repetition.