Hiragana Letter A Letter
あ is the hiragana letter “a” (HIRAGANA LETTER A, U+3042) used in Japanese writing.
U+3042
“あ” (hiragana あ) represents the “a” sound in Japanese. It’s a common character for basic reading, spelling, and short phrases. This page helps you copy it reliably across tools and code.
Hiragana Letter A Letter Meaning
あ (HIRAGANA LETTER A, U+3042) is a hiragana character used to write the vowel sound “a” in Japanese. In everyday reading and basic spelling, it can appear in many words and grammatical forms that start with or include the “a” sound. Because it’s a standalone hiragana letter, it’s often used when practicing kana, writing simple sounds, or creating minimal text (such as prompts, placeholders, or short labels). When typed, it’s commonly treated as the character for “a” rather than a longer syllable.
Common uses
- •Typing or practicing Japanese kana (beginner reading exercises)
- •Writing words that begin with the “a” sound using hiragana
- •Creating short labels, placeholders, or prompts in Japanese text
- •Educational materials (worksheets, flashcards, quizzes)
- •User interface text in Japanese locales where “a” is needed
Examples
あ — Hiragana Letter A (U+3042)
- ああしたはあめです。
- ああいです。
- ああ、わかりました。
- あこのページはあをまとめます。
- ああいうえおのはじめ
Variations
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+3042 | |
| HTML Entity | あ | |
| HTML Code | あ | |
| CSS | \3042 | |
| Alt Code | Alt + 12354 | |
| Decimal | 12354 |
How to type Hiragana Letter A Letter (あ)
On Windows
Hold Alt and type 12354 on the numeric keypad. In Word, type 3042 then press Alt + X.
On Mac
Switch to the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, then hold Option and type 3042. Or press Control + Command + Space and search.
On Linux
Press Control + Shift + U, type 3042, then press Enter or Space.
Anywhere
Copy あ with the button above and paste it wherever you need it — this works on every device and in every app, with no keyboard shortcut to remember.
FAQ
What does the Hiragana Letter A letter mean?
あ (HIRAGANA LETTER A, U+3042) is a hiragana character used to write the vowel sound “a” in Japanese. In everyday reading and basic spelling, it can appear in many words and grammatical forms that start with or include the “a” sound. Because it’s a standalone hiragana letter, it’s often used when practicing kana, writing simple sounds, or creating minimal text (such as prompts, placeholders, or short labels). When typed, it’s commonly treated as the character for “a” rather than a longer syllable.
What Unicode character is “あ”?
“あ” is HIRAGANA LETTER A with Unicode code point U+3042.
How can I paste “あ” into HTML?
You can use the HTML entity: あ.
How do I include “あ” in CSS or styles?
Use the CSS escape form: \\3042.
How do I include “あ” in JavaScript strings?
Use the Unicode escape: \\u{3042}.