ぬ (nu)
Pronunciation
The character ぬ represents the syllable 'nu', a soft 'n' followed by 'u' (with relaxed lips). Part of the な-row. Take care: ぬ looks similar to め (me) — but ぬ has an extra closed loop at the lower right, while め is more open.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ぬ is written in two strokes. Stroke 1: a short diagonal mark on the upper left, like a small slash. Stroke 2: a long flowing curving stroke that begins at the top, sweeps down and to the right, loops around to form a closed shape in the middle, then continues into a second loop on the lower right. The defining feature is the double-loop on the right side.
Common Words with ぬ
- いぬ (inu) — dog familiaris) / canine
- きぬ (kinu) — silk
- ぬの (nuno) — cloth / fabric / material
- ぬま (numa) — marsh / swamp / wetland
- ぬいめ (nuime) — seam / stitch / suture
- ぬし (nushi) — head / leader / master
- ぬすむ (nusumu) — to steal
- しぬ (shinu) — to die / to pass away
- ぬう (nuu) — to sew / to stitch
- ぬぐ (nugu) — to take off / to undress
- ぬる (nuru) — to paint / to spread / to plaster
- ぬく (nuku) — to pull out / to draw out / to extract
- つらぬく (tsuranuku) — to go through / to pierce / to penetrate
- ぬれる (nureru) — to get wet
- まぬけ (manuke) — stupid / foolish / idiotic
- ぬける (nukeru) — to come out / to fall out / to be omitted
- ぬらす (nurasu) — to wet / to moisten / to dampen
- せんぬき (sennuki) — bottle opener / corkscrew
- こいぬ (koinu) — puppy
- ぬまた (numata) — deep-mud paddy
How to Write ぬ (nu) in Hiragana
The hiragana character ぬ is romanized as "nu" and is written with 2 strokes. Like "noo" in "noodle", but shorter. Example word: いぬ (inu) — dog.
Stroke Order for ぬ
When writing ぬ, 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 ぬ 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.