し (shi)
Pronunciation
The character し represents the syllable 'shi', a soft 'sh' sound followed by 'i'. Note: it is NOT pronounced 'si' — there is no 'si' sound in standard Japanese; the 'sh' sound always replaces it in this position. Part of the さ-row.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
し is written in a single stroke — one of the simplest hiragana to write. Begin near the top, draw a long vertical line straight down, then curve gracefully to the right at the bottom and finish with a slight upward hook. The bottom curve is the defining feature — keep it smooth and gentle, not abrupt.
Common Words with し
- あしあと (ashiato) — footprints
- しはらい (shiharai) — payment
- さびしい (sabishii) — lonely / lonesome / solitary
- むなしい (munashii) — empty / void / vacant
- つつしむ (tsutsushimu) — to be careful / to be discreet
- しゃりょう (sharyou) — vehicle / car / car
- あし (ashi) — foot / paw / arm
- うし (ushi) — cattle / cow / bull
- こし (koshi) — lower back / waist / hips
- しお (shio) — salt / common salt / table salt
- した (shita) — tongue
- しつ (shitsu) — quality / value
- とし (toshi) — year
- にし (nishi) — west
- はし (hashi) — bridge
- はなし (hanashi) — talk / speech / chat
- ひがし (higashi) — east
- ほし (hoshi) — star / planet / heavenly body
- しま (shima) — island
- たましい (tamashii) — soul / spirit / mind
How to Write し (shi) in Hiragana
The hiragana character し is romanized as "shi" and is written with 1 stroke. Like "she". Example word: しろ (shiro) — white.
Stroke Order for し
When writing し, 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 し 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.