は (ha)
Pronunciation
The character は represents the syllable 'ha', a soft 'h' followed by 'a' as in 'father'. It is the first character of the は-row. The particle は (pronounced 'wa' when used as a topic marker) is one of the most fundamental words in Japanese grammar.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
は is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: a short vertical line on the left, slanting slightly. Stroke 2: a short horizontal line that crosses through stroke 1 in the upper portion and extends to the right. Stroke 3: a long curving stroke on the right side that begins above stroke 2, sweeps down through it, curves around to form a small closed loop on the lower right, and ends with a small upward tail.
Common Words with は
- しはらい (shiharai) — payment
- はつか (hatsuka) — 20th day of the month
- はじめて (hajimete) — for the first time
- はじめに (hajimeni) — first / firstly / first of all
- は (ha) — edge / blade
- はい (hai) — lung
- はか (haka) — grave / gravesite / tomb
- はこ (hako) — box / case / chest
- はし (hashi) — bridge
- はじ (haji) — shame / embarrassment / disgrace
- はた (hata) — flag
- はだ (hada) — skin
- はだか (hadaka) — nakedness / nudity
- はち (hachi) — eight / 8
- はと (hato) — pigeon / dove
- はな (hana) — flower / blossom / bloom
- はなし (hanashi) — talk / speech / chat
- はね (hane) — feather / plume / down
- はは (haha) — mother
- はば (haba) — width / breadth
How to Write は (ha) in Hiragana
The hiragana character は is romanized as "ha" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "ha" in "hot". Example word: はな (hana) — flower.
Stroke Order for は
When writing は, 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 は 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.