へ (he)
Pronunciation
The character へ represents the syllable 'he', a soft 'h' followed by 'e' as in 'pet'. Part of the は-row. The particle へ (pronounced 'e' when used as a directional marker meaning 'to' or 'towards') is one of the most common particles in Japanese.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
へ is written in a single stroke. Begin in the lower left, sweep up and to the right in a smooth diagonal that peaks in the upper middle, then sweep down and to the right in a longer diagonal that descends to the lower right. The shape is a simple inverted 'V' with the right side longer than the left.
Common Words with へ
- へい (hei) — wall
- へび (hebi) — snake
- へん (hen) — strange / odd / peculiar
- かへい (kahei) — money / currency / coin
- しへい (shihei) — paper money / note / bill
- へいがい (heigai) — harmful effect / harmful influence / evil practice
- へいき (heiki) — arms / weapon / ordnance
- へいこう (heikou) — going side-by-side / going abreast
- へいさ (heisa) — closing / closure
- へいし (heishi) — soldier
- へいじつ (heijitsu) — weekday / ordinary days
- へいたい (heitai) — armed forces / military / troops
- へた (heta) — unskillful / poor / awkward
- へや (heya) — room / chamber
- へる (heru) — to decrease / to diminish / to abate
- たいへん (taihen) — very / greatly / terribly
- はへん (hahen) — fragment / broken piece / splinter
- ふへん (fuhen) — universal / general / ubiquitous
- へいおん (heion) — tranquil / calm / restful
- へいきん (heikin) — average / mean
How to Write へ (he) in Hiragana
The hiragana character へ is romanized as "he" and is written with 1 stroke. Like "he" in "help". Example word: へや (heya) — room.
Stroke Order for へ
When writing へ, 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 へ 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.