How to Write う (Hiragana 'u') — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 2-stroke writing sequence of the Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) character う (“Hiragana 'u'”), indexed under the う (—) radical. Practice う alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as うみ (umi — sea / ocean).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (う)
Primary Radical (部首): う — —
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary (Hiragana (ひらがな)). As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "u", う represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (2画): With only 2 strokes, う is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the う (—) structure cleanly around the center intersection and finish terminal strokes with crisp tome (stop) or harai (sweep) release.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
In Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary), う conveys the core meaning “Hiragana 'u'” and is built around the う (—) radical across 2 strokes (foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes)). Reinforce う in memory by pairing its radical structure with real Jukugo vocabulary: うみ (umi — sea / ocean).
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using う
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji う (FAQ)
How many strokes are in う and how is it structured?
The Japanese character う ("Hiragana 'u'") is written with 2 strokes (2画) as a Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes) indexed under the う (—) radical. With only 2 strokes, う is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the う (—) structure cleanly around the center intersection and finish terminal strokes with crisp tome (stop) or harai (sweep) release.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for う?
For う (Hiragana (ひらがな)), the Onyomi is — and the Kunyomi is u. As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "u", う represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using う includes うみ (umi — sea / ocean).
What is the stroke order rule for writing う on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 2 strokes of う (Hiragana 'u'), start with the う (—) and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice う interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
More Hiragana (ひらがな) Characters to Practice Next
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