ん (n)
Pronunciation
The character ん represents the syllabic nasal 'n' — the only consonant in Japanese that can stand alone as a full syllable without a vowel. It can sound like 'n', 'm', or 'ng' depending on what follows: closer to 'm' before 'p', 'b', or 'm' (e.g., さんま 'samma'), closer to 'ng' before 'k' or 'g' (e.g., りんご 'ringo'), and 'n' elsewhere. ん never starts a word — it always ends or appears mid-word.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ん is written in a single stroke. Begin in the upper left with a short downward stroke, sweep down to the lower middle, then curve upward and to the right in a smooth arc that rises toward the upper right and ends with a small inward hook. The shape resembles a small 'n' or a flowing wave.
Common Words with ん
- うん (un) — fortune / luck / chance
- おんな (onna) — woman / female
- かん (kan) — traditional cap worn by Shinto clergy and courtiers
- ぎん (gin) — silver
- ぐん (gun) — army / armed forces / troops
- こん (kon) — navy blue / deep blue
- さん (san) — three / 3
- しん (shin) — wick / marrow / staple
- せん (sen) — thousand / 1,000
- そん (son) — loss / damage / harm
- だん (dan) — platform / podium / rostrum
- てん (ten) — sky
- どんぶり (donburi) — porcelain bowl
- はん (han) — half / semi- / partial
- ばん (ban) — evening / night
- びん (bin) — bottle / jar / decanter
- へん (hen) — strange / odd / peculiar
- もん (mon) — gate
- よん (yon) — four / 4
- らん (ran) — section / column / page
How to Write ん (n) in Hiragana
The hiragana character ん is romanized as "n" and is written with 1 stroke. Like "n" in "sun" — the only consonant-only kana. Example word: にほん (nihon) — Japan.
Stroke Order for ん
When writing ん, 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 ん 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.