How to Write の (Hiragana 'no') — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 1-stroke writing sequence of the Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) character の (“Hiragana 'no'”), indexed under the の (—) radical. Practice の alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as のむ (nomu — to drink).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (の)
Primary Radical (部首): の — —
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary (Hiragana (ひらがな)). As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "no", の represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (1画): With only 1 stroke, の is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the の (—) 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), の conveys the core meaning “Hiragana 'no'” and is built around the の (—) radical across 1 strokes (foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes)). Reinforce の in memory by pairing its radical structure with real Jukugo vocabulary: のむ (nomu — to drink).
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using の
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji の (FAQ)
How many strokes are in の and how is it structured?
The Japanese character の ("Hiragana 'no'") is written with 1 stroke (1画) as a Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes) indexed under the の (—) radical. With only 1 stroke, の is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the の (—) 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 の?
For の (Hiragana (ひらがな)), the Onyomi is — and the Kunyomi is no. As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "no", の represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using の includes のむ (nomu — to drink).
What is the stroke order rule for writing の on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 1 strokes of の (Hiragana 'no'), start with the の (—) and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice の 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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