What is あ?

あ (a) in Japanese

あ (hiragana) and ア (katakana) are the first characters in the Japanese kana syllabaries. They both represent the mora /a/.

• Pronunciation: The sound is very similar to the "a" in "father". This is a fundamental part of Japanese phonology.

• Origin: In hiragana, あ is derived from the cursive style of the man'yōgana 安. In katakana, ア is derived from the radical of the man'yōgana 阿. Understanding man'yōgana helps to see the evolution of the script.

• Usage: あ is the first vowel and often the starting point when learning Japanese. It's essential for writing various words and grammatical particles. Mastering Japanese%20script is critical when learning the language.

• Placement in the gojūon: It occupies the first position in the gojūon order, both in hiragana and katakana. The gojūon is the traditional ordering of Japanese kana.