How to Write き (Hiragana 'ki') — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 4-stroke writing sequence of the Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) character き (“Hiragana 'ki'”), indexed under the き (—) radical. Practice き alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as きのう (kinou — yesterday).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (き)
Primary Radical (部首): き — —
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary (Hiragana (ひらがな)). As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ki", き represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (4画): With only 4 strokes, き is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the き (—) 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), き conveys the core meaning “Hiragana 'ki'” and is built around the き (—) radical across 4 strokes (foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes)). Reinforce き in memory by pairing its radical structure with real Jukugo vocabulary: きのう (kinou — yesterday).
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using き
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji き (FAQ)
How many strokes are in き and how is it structured?
The Japanese character き ("Hiragana 'ki'") is written with 4 strokes (4画) as a Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes) indexed under the き (—) radical. With only 4 strokes, き is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the き (—) 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 き?
For き (Hiragana (ひらがな)), the Onyomi is — and the Kunyomi is ki. As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ki", き represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using き includes きのう (kinou — yesterday).
What is the stroke order rule for writing き on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 4 strokes of き (Hiragana 'ki'), start with the き (—) and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice き 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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