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