む (mu)
Pronunciation
The character む represents the syllable 'mu', a soft 'm' followed by 'u' (with relaxed lips). Part of the ま-row.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
む is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: a horizontal line near the top, written from left to right. Stroke 2: a long curving stroke that begins below stroke 1, sweeps down through the character, and curves around to form a small closed loop in the lower middle, ending with a tail. Stroke 3: a small detached mark on the upper right, like a small accent or dot. The accent is the defining feature.
Common Words with む
- のむ (nomu) — to drink / to swallow / to take
- むいか (muika) — 6th day of the month
- むなしい (munashii) — empty / void / vacant
- つつしむ (tsutsushimu) — to be careful / to be discreet
- おもむき (omomuki) — meaning / tenor / gist
- むかし (mukashi) — the old days / the past / former times
- むぎ (mugi) — wheat / barley / oat
- むし (mushi) — insect / bug / cricket
- むすめ (musume) — daughter
- むね (mune) — chest / breast
- けむり (kemuri) — smoke / fumes
- さむらい (samurai) — warrior / samurai
- むら (mura) — village
- むらさき (murasaki) — purple / violet
- むこ (muko) — husband / groom
- あくむ (akumu) — nightmare / bad dream
- いとなむ (itonamu) — to run / to operate / to conduct
- かこむ (kakomu) — to surround / to encircle / to enclose
- きざむ (kizamu) — to mince / to cut fine / to chop up
- ぎむ (gimu) — duty / obligation / responsibility
How to Write む (mu) in Hiragana
The hiragana character む is romanized as "mu" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "moo" in "mood", but shorter. Example word: むし (mushi) — insect.
Stroke Order for む
When writing む, 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 む 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.