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