# SimplyHiragana Learn Japanese — Beginner Kana Flashcards > Learn Japanese hiragana characters using active recall and spaced repetition. (iPhone/iPad app by Christian Brodin.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplyhiragana-learn-japanese/id6759581789 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Christian Brodin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854237574) - Category: Education - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 3 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-03-03 - Data updated: 2026-08-26 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplyhiragana-learn-japanese/id6759581789/reviews.md ## What is SimplyHiragana Learn Japanese? Learn hiragana -- the first step in reading Japanese. SimplyHiragana covers all 46 hiragana characters and 45 real Japanese words, each paired with the character it teaches. Five minutes a day is enough. No accounts. No login. Tap Start and study. --- WHY HIRAGANA FIRST Before kanji, before grammar, before anything else -- hiragana is the foundation of written Japanese. Every textbook, every app, every course assumes you already know it. And it's only 46 characters. Most beginners learn them all in about two weeks. The common problem isn't the characters themselves. It's forgetting them overnight. You study for an hour, feel confident, and the next morning half of it is gone. That's usually not a memory problem. Passive study methods -- re-reading a chart, copying characters, staring at a table -- create short-term recognition without durable recall. The format is the issue, not the effort. SimplyHiragana fixes this by changing how you study, not how much. --- THE SCIENCE Most study apps show you a character and ask you to re-read it. Re-reading feels productive, but it creates shallow memory -- you recognize the answer while it's in front of you and forget it an hour later. SimplyHiragana works differently in two ways. First, every card is a retrieval attempt. You see a prompt and pull the answer from memory before revealing it. That act of retrieving -- even when you get it wrong -- builds stronger, longer-lasting memory than passive review. In 1967, researchers at the University of California demonstrated this effect in a series of memory experiments. Psychologists have been replicating it ever since. It's called the testing effect, and it's one of the most consistent findings in learning science. Second, the app tracks which characters give you trouble and brings them back at calculated intervals. Characters you know well fade into the background. Characters you keep forgetting come back sooner. Your practice time goes where it matters instead of cycling through things you already know. --- HOW IT WORKS 1. Open. Tap Start. 2. Choose your character group, or let the app decide what you need most. 3. Recall. Tap to reveal. Rate how well you knew it. --- WHAT'S INSIDE - All 46 hiragana characters and their readings - 45 real Japanese words -- each character paired with a word that uses it (あめ for rain, いぬ for dog, ねこ for cat) - Active recall on every card -- you retrieve, not re-read - Spaced repetition that adapts to your memory - Six study modes: Sequential, Random, Group, Weak Points, Review, Learning - Mnemonic hints for every character - Daily goals and streaks - Works offline -- no internet required - No tracking. No data collection. Your progress stays on your device. --- THE 10 CHARACTER GROUPS Vowels: a, i, u, e, o K-row: ka, ki, ku, ke, ko S-row: sa, shi, su, se, so T-row: ta, chi, tsu, te, to N-row: na, ni, nu, ne, no H-row: ha, hi, fu, he, ho M-row: ma, mi, mu, me, mo Y-row: ya, yu, yo R-row: ra, ri, ru, re, ro W-row: wa, wo, n --- WHY I BUILT THIS Years ago, I was living in Japan and commuting by train. I found a flashcard app -- nothing fancy, just characters organized by level -- and started reviewing on the ride to work. Five minutes out, five minutes back. Then the app disappeared from the App Store. The replacements I tried were either buried in features I didn't need or missing the simplicity that made the original work. So I built SimplyKanji -- the app I wished still existed. And then I built SimplyHiragana and SimplyKatakana -- because most people need to start with the basics before they're ready for kanji. Now on iPhone and iPad. --- Five minutes a day. Start reading Japanese today. ## Key features - Active recall on every card - Spaced repetition system - Mnemonic hints for characters - 45 real Japanese words with characters - Six study modes - Works offline ## Frequently asked questions about SimplyHiragana Learn Japanese ### What is the best way to learn hiragana with SimplyHiragana? SimplyHiragana utilizes active recall, where you attempt to retrieve the answer from memory before revealing it. This method, supported by the testing effect, builds stronger, longer-lasting memory than passive review. The app also adapts to your memory by bringing back characters you struggle with more frequently. ### Does SimplyHiragana have ads? No, SimplyHiragana is ad-free. The app focuses on providing a distraction-free learning experience without advertisements. ### Can I use SimplyHiragana offline? Yes, SimplyHiragana works offline. No internet connection is required to study and practice hiragana characters, making it convenient for learning anywhere. ### How does SimplyHiragana track my progress? SimplyHiragana tracks your progress by adapting the spaced repetition intervals based on how well you recall each character. Characters you know well will appear less frequently, while those you find difficult will be presented more often to reinforce learning. ### What are the different study modes in SimplyHiragana? SimplyHiragana offers six study modes: Sequential, Random, Group, Weak Points, Review, and Learning. This variety allows users to tailor their study sessions to their specific needs and preferences. ### What is the age rating for SimplyHiragana? SimplyHiragana has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for young children and learners of all ages. ### How often is SimplyHiragana updated? The latest version of SimplyHiragana is 5.7, and it was last updated on 2026-05-25. This suggests a relatively active development cycle for the application. ### Does SimplyHiragana collect user data? No, SimplyHiragana emphasizes user privacy by stating 'No tracking. No data collection. Your progress stays on your device.' This means your learning data is not shared or stored externally. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 7.1 — 2026-08-21 Improvements to ratings and feedback, plus small fixes. ### 7 — 2026-07-28 calmer way to study. One Continue button now picks the right session for you and always moves forward — no more starting over from あ. Sessions are short and finished: when your cards are done, a Nice work! screen sums up what you reviewed, what you learned, and your streak. Keep going if you want, or stop guilt-free. Plus an improved iPad layout and smaller fixes. ### 5.7 — 2026-05-25 A quicker way to share feedback or leave a rating, plus small fixes throughout. ### 5.6 — 2026-05-13 iPad improvements: Study cards and swipe indicators are now larger and easier to read on iPad. Stability improvements and bug fixes. ### 5.5 — 2026-05-03 Smoother flashcard swiping with softer visual feedback. Updated onboarding. Improved review prompt — now you can share feedback without leaving the app. Fixed version number display in Settings. ## More apps by Christian Brodin - [SimplyKanji Read Japanese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplykanji-read-japanese/id6755498208) - [SimplyKatakana Read Japanese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplykatakana-read-japanese/id6760268482) All apps by Christian Brodin: https://appshunter.io/developer/1854237574 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*