や (ya)
Pronunciation
The character や represents the syllable 'ya', a soft 'y' sound followed by 'a' as in 'father'. It is the first character of the や-row. The small versions ゃ, ゅ, ょ are used to form compound 'yōon' syllables like きゃ (kya) and しゅ (shu).
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
や is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: a long curving stroke that begins in the upper middle, sweeps down and to the right, then curves back to the left at the bottom — forming a shape like a backwards 'C'. Stroke 2: a short horizontal stroke that crosses through the middle of stroke 1. Stroke 3: a short curving stroke on the lower right, like a small detached comma.
Common Words with や
- いや (iya) — disliking / not wanting / unwilling
- おや (oya) — parent / parents / mother and father
- はやし (hayashi) — wood / woods / forest
- や (ya) — arrow
- やく (yaku) — role / assignment / responsibility
- やつ (yatsu) — fellow / guy / chap
- やど (yado) — lodging / inn / hotel
- やま (yama) — mountain / hill
- やみ (yami) — darkness / the dark
- はやい (hayai) — fast / quick / rapid
- おやゆび (oyayubi) — thumb
- かつやく (katsuyaku) — activity / great efforts / active participation
- けいやく (keiyaku) — contract / compact / agreement
- ちちおや (chichioya) — father
- つうやく (tsuuyaku) — interpretation
- てつや (tetsuya) — staying up all night
- なやみ (nayami) — trouble / troubles / worry
- なやむ (nayamu) — to be worried / to be troubled
- ははおや (hahaoya) — mother
- はやくち (hayakuchi) — fast-talking / rapid talking
How to Write や (ya) in Hiragana
The hiragana character や is romanized as "ya" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "ya" in "yard". Example word: やま (yama) — mountain.
Stroke Order for や
When writing や, 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 や 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.