ぐ (gu)
Pronunciation
The character ぐ represents the syllable 'gu', a hard 'g' followed by 'u'. It is く with the dakuten that voices 'k' to 'g'.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ぐ is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: identical to く — a single angled stroke beginning in the upper left, dipping to a point in the middle, and sweeping to the lower right. Stroke 2: a small diagonal mark to the upper right of the character. Stroke 3: a second small diagonal mark just below the first, completing the dakuten. The two small marks transform 'ku' into 'gu'.
Common Words with ぐ
- ぐん (gun) — army / armed forces / troops
- かぐ (kagu) — furniture
- ぐあい (guai) — condition / state
- いそぐ (isogu) — to hurry / to rush / to hasten
- そそぐ (sosogu) — to pour
- くちぐせ (kuchiguse) — pet saying / favorite phrase / stock phrase
- ぐち (guchi) — idle complaint / grumble
- たいぐう (taiguu) — treatment / reception / service
- つぐ (tsugu) — to succeed / to inherit / to take over
- でぐち (deguchi) — exit / way out
- どうぐ (dougu) — tool / implement / instrument
- まどぐち (madoguchi) — counter / window / teller window
- およぐ (oyogu) — to swim
- うらぐち (uraguchi) — backdoor / rear entrance / rear exit
- なぐる (naguru) — to strike / to hit / to beat
- かいぐん (kaigun) — navy / naval force
- ぐうぜん (guuzen) — coincidence / chance / accident
- ぐんかん (gunkan) — warship / battleship
- ぐんじん (gunjin) — serviceman / servicewoman / soldier
- ぐんたい (guntai) — armed forces / military / troops
How to Write ぐ (gu) in Hiragana
The hiragana character ぐ is romanized as "gu" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "goo" in "goose", but shorter. Example word: ぐんて (gunte) — gloves.
Stroke Order for ぐ
When writing ぐ, 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 ぐ 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.