う (u)
Pronunciation
The character う represents the vowel 'u', pronounced like the 'oo' in 'food' but with the lips relaxed rather than rounded. It is one of the five basic Japanese vowels. The sound is short and somewhat compressed — Japanese 'u' is more centralized than the English 'oo'.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
う is written in two strokes. Stroke 1: a short, slightly curved horizontal mark at the top, like a small dot or accent. Stroke 2: a sweeping curve that begins at the upper left, dips down to the lower middle, and curves to the right with a gentle upward tail. The bottom curve is the defining feature — keep it smooth, not angular.
Common Words with う
- うりあげ (uriage) — amount sold / sales / proceeds
- かわいそう (kawaisou) — poor / pitiable / pathetic
- ようか (youka) — 8th day of the month
- しゃりょう (sharyou) — vehicle / car / car
- ごう (gou) — number / edition / make
- うし (ushi) — cattle / cow / bull
- うそ (uso) — lie / fib / falsehood
- うた (uta) — song / singing
- うち (uchi) — inside / within
- おとうと (otouto) — younger brother / little brother / kid brother
- とう (tou) — tower / steeple / spire
- とうげ (touge) — pass / highest point on a mountain road / ridge
- うで (ude) — arm
- どう (dou) — trunk / torso / body
- のう (nou) — brain
- ふう (fuu) — seal
- ぼう (bou) — pole / rod / stick
- いもうと (imouto) — younger sister
- うま (uma) — horse
- うみ (umi) — sea / ocean / waters
How to Write う (u) in Hiragana
The hiragana character う is romanized as "u" and is written with 2 strokes. Like "oo" in "food", but with unrounded lips. Example word: うみ (umi) — sea.
Stroke Order for う
When writing う, 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 う 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.