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