き (ki)
Pronunciation
The character き represents the syllable 'ki', a hard 'k' followed by 'i' as in 'machine'. It is part of the か-row. Like the other characters in this row, the 'k' sound is unaspirated.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
き is written in four strokes. Stroke 1: a short horizontal line near the top, written left to right. Stroke 2: a longer horizontal line below the first, parallel to it. Stroke 3: a long vertical line that crosses both horizontals, slanting slightly toward the lower left. Stroke 4: a small curving stroke on the lower right that loops back to the left — the characteristic 'tail' of き.
Common Words with き
- きく (kiku) — to hear
- さきほど (sakihodo) — a short while ago / a moment ago / just now
- かおつき (kaotsuki) — looks / features / face
- きづく (kizuku) — to notice / to realize / to realise
- きずつける (kizutsukeru) — to wound / to injure
- いきがい (ikigai) — reason for living / something one lives for / purpose in life
- あき (aki) — autumn / fall
- いき (iki) — breath / breathing
- えき (eki) — railway station / train station
- き (ki) — tree / shrub / bush
- くき (kuki) — stalk / stem
- げき (geki) — drama / play
- せき (seki) — seat
- きず (kizu) — wound / injury / cut
- きた (kita) — north
- たき (taki) — waterfall
- てき (teki) — opponent / rival / adversary
- とき (toki) — time / hour / moment
- きつね (kitsune) — fox
- きぬ (kinu) — silk
How to Write き (ki) in Hiragana
The hiragana character き is romanized as "ki" and is written with 4 strokes. Like "key". Example word: きもの (kimono) — kimono.
Stroke Order for き
When writing き, 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 き 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.