び (bi)
Pronunciation
The character び represents the syllable 'bi', a soft 'b' followed by 'i'. It is ひ with the dakuten that voices 'h' to 'b'.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
び is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: identical to ひ — a single curving stroke that sweeps across the bottom of the character and rises to a small hook on the upper right. Stroke 2: a small diagonal mark at the upper right of the character. Stroke 3: a second small diagonal mark below or to the right of the first. The two marks voice the syllable from 'hi' to 'bi'.
Common Words with び
- さびしい (sabishii) — lonely / lonesome / solitary
- くび (kubi) — neck
- たび (tabi) — travel / trip / journey
- へび (hebi) — snake
- ゆび (yubi) — finger / toe / digit
- くちびる (kuchibiru) — lip / lips
- とびら (tobira) — door / gate / opening
- びん (bin) — bottle / jar / decanter
- びょう (byou) — second
- おび (obi) — obi
- あしくび (ashikubi) — ankle
- あそび (asobi) — play / playing / game
- こいびと (koibito) — lover / sweetheart / boyfriend
- さけび (sakebi) — shout / cry / outcry
- てくび (tekubi) — wrist
- はなび (hanabi) — fireworks
- ひとびと (hitobito) — people / men and women
- ふたたび (futatabi) — again / once more / a second time
- おやゆび (oyayubi) — thumb
- こゆび (koyubi) — little finger / pinky / fourth finger
How to Write び (bi) in Hiragana
The hiragana character び is romanized as "bi" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "bee". Example word: びじゅつ (bijutsu) — art.
Stroke Order for び
When writing び, follow the numbered stroke order shown in the reference character above. Japanese characters are generally written from left to right and top to bottom. Correct stroke order improves readability and writing speed.
Practice Tips
- Print this sheet on standard 8.5" × 11" letter paper
- Start by tracing the light grey guide characters in the first column
- Then practice writing び freehand in the empty squares
- Pay attention to stroke direction and order — follow the numbered guide
- For interactive practice with animations, visit the main study page
About Hiragana
Hiragana is one of the three Japanese writing systems. It consists of 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb endings. Learning correct stroke order is essential for proper Japanese handwriting.