ち (chi)
Pronunciation
The character ち represents the syllable 'chi', a soft 'ch' sound followed by 'i'. Note: it is NOT pronounced 'ti' — there is no 'ti' sound in standard Japanese; the 'ch' sound always replaces it in this position. Part of the た-row. Take care: ち looks similar to さ but the curl is on the OPPOSITE side.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ち is written in two strokes. Stroke 1: a short horizontal line near the top, written from left to right. Stroke 2: a long curving stroke that begins on the upper right of stroke 1, sweeps down through the middle, curves around in a loop on the lower left, and ends with a small inward hook. The lower-left curl is what visually distinguishes ち from さ (which has the curl on the lower right).
Common Words with ち
- ともだち (tomodachi) — friend / companion
- わるくち (warukuchi) — abuse / speaking ill of people / bad-mouthing
- いちにち (ichinichi) — one day
- ちかづく (chikazuku) — to approach / to draw near / to get close
- うち (uchi) — inside / within
- かたち (katachi) — form / shape / figure
- くち (kuchi) — mouth
- ち (chi) — earth / ground / land
- ちち (chichi) — father
- つち (tsuchi) — earth / soil / dirt
- いのち (inochi) — life / life force
- はち (hachi) — eight / 8
- ふち (fuchi) — rim / brim / edge
- まち (machi) — town / block / neighbourhood
- みち (michi) — road / path / street
- くちびる (kuchibiru) — lip / lips
- ちょう (chou) — intestine / bowel
- いち (ichi) — one / 1
- ちから (chikara) — force / strength / might
- いちおう (ichiou) — more or less / though not quite satisfactorily / after a fashion
How to Write ち (chi) in Hiragana
The hiragana character ち is romanized as "chi" and is written with 2 strokes. Like "chee" in "cheese". Example word: ちず (chizu) — map.
Stroke Order for ち
When writing ち, 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 ち 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.