shu / しゅ
The middle SH combined kana — し plus a small ゅ becomes 'shu', a single syllable. Anchors hobbies, homework, and business trips.
Pronunciation
The compound character しゅ represents the syllable 'shu', formed by combining し (shi) with a small ゅ. It is pronounced as a single syllable 'shu'.
しゅ is し (shi) plus a small ゅ (yu). Together they make a single syllable /shu/ — sounding exactly like English "shoe". It anchors 趣味 (shumi, "hobby"), 主人 (shujin, "husband / master"), 宿題 (shukudai, "homework"), 出張 (shucchou, "business trip"), 種類 (shurui, "kind / type"), 主婦 (shufu, "housewife"), 修理 (shuuri, "repair"). One of the most useful yōon in beginner vocabulary.
How to write しゅ
Trace しゅ on the canvas at the top of the page. Animated arrows show each stroke's direction; trace along them and the stroke fills in. Each numbered step below explains what that stroke does.
Write し exactly: a single flowing stroke.
Write a small ゅ next to し. Stroke 2 is the small looping body (a tiny tear-drop); stroke 3 is the horizontal anchor crossing through it. Keep ゅ at roughly half the height of し.
Origin
しゅ is the written combination of し (from 之, shi) and a small ゆ (from 由, yu). The palatalized /shu/ sound is one of the most common in the language — every word that begins with a 'sh' followed by 'oo' uses this combined kana.
Common words starting with しゅ
Printable practice sheet
Print this worksheet to practice writing しゅ by hand — the top row shows the stroke order to trace, then fill the blank squares.
Lock it into memory
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