How to Write か (Hiragana 'ka') — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 3-stroke writing sequence of the Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) character か (“Hiragana 'ka'”), indexed under the か (—) radical. Practice か alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as かわ (kawa — river).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (か)
Primary Radical (部首): か — —
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary (Hiragana (ひらがな)). As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ka", か represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (3画): With only 3 strokes, か is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the か (—) 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), か conveys the core meaning “Hiragana 'ka'” and is built around the か (—) radical across 3 strokes (foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes)). Reinforce か in memory by pairing its radical structure with real Jukugo vocabulary: かわ (kawa — river).
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using か
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji か (FAQ)
How many strokes are in か and how is it structured?
The Japanese character か ("Hiragana 'ka'") is written with 3 strokes (3画) as a Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes) indexed under the か (—) radical. With only 3 strokes, か is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the か (—) 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 か?
For か (Hiragana (ひらがな)), the Onyomi is — and the Kunyomi is ka. As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ka", か represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using か includes かわ (kawa — river).
What is the stroke order rule for writing か on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 3 strokes of か (Hiragana 'ka'), start with the か (—) and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice か 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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