Hiragana HA – Important Hiragana Symbol
Congratulations to have reached to HA (は) in Hiragana! If you have been following along my step-by-step instructions on how to learn to write Japanese using Hiragana syllables then you have reached half way through the first basic 46 Hiragana characters.
The sound of this Japanese character actually means tooth. You can write it as HA in Hiragana and then it looks like this は or you can write tooth using Kanji by writing 歯.
Step 1: Cloned Line Stroke From Hiragana NI Character
This first line stroke is spooky similar to the first line stroke NI (に) in Hiragana which you have already learned if you’ve been following my Hiragana lessons in the correct order.
It starts from the top and moves down in a slight leftward curved motion ending with a short faded twitch up right. You release brush pressure as you draw the last part of it.
Step 2: Short Horizontal Line Stroke To The Right
Your second line to draw is an easy horizontal left to right upward leaning brush stroke.
Step 3: Vertical Line With A Bottom Left Side Twist Turn
It’s wise to practice this third line stroke well because it appears as a line stroke in other Hiragana characters as well. Take a look at HO (ほ), MA (ま) and the last line in NA (な) which you have already learned if you have followed the learning order I have given you.
Draw your line starting from the top and follow straight down until you reach the bottom level of this character. There you turn left in a flat way and then curve up the line and return to the right all the way down to the bottom base line (right side of the vertical line).
To make this symbol look exact proportional as it’s supposed to be done, make sure the horizontal ending point of your last line matches the vertical alignment of the most right side end of your second line you draw in this Hiragana symbol. Now it looks really great!
Phew! Finally Finished! Tap Yourself On The Back.
Well done! You have now battled yourself through this 3 line stroke Hiragana は symbol.
The background photo behind my line stroke illustration shows a part of the main user interface of a typical Japanese shower toilet. This is the simple easy version of it.
Toilets here in Japan come in all kinds of versions, but one thing they usually have in common is the electronic interface where you can play DJ pressing buttons and spinning jog wheels as if it was a sound mixer table. Actually it often even has a sound button too!
To some people it looks more like a control system of a space station or an aircraft, but as soon as you get your Hiragana characters worked out then you will actually be able to read part of these Japanese toilet button labels. Don’t tell Hiragana wasn’t worth a shit.
Still there are Kanji symbols, but you can definitely find characters written in Hiragana.
INAX is one of the big Japanese companies within electronic bathroom gadets. I must admit I’ve learned and memorized Japanese through their instructional button stickers.
One of the benefits to live here in Japan is that you never get a rest from learning more Japanese language. It’s everywhere around you no matter where you try to watch away.
You can’t even take a crap without learning Japanese. Even the toilet remote control has it. Yeah, toilets have remote controls! Sick, isn’t it?! Same distance to pick up the remote control on the wall as to reach for the digital display or buttons like in this photo I took.
This Hiragana symbol is one of the most important ones to learn – so please pay extra much attention in learning how to draw Hiragana HA (は). You will need to use it a lot.
You will encounter it in Japanese grammar, especially as the particle for WA. Surprisingly the particle for WA is not written as わ (WA). No – instead it is written as HA (は) but sounds like WA. The same Hiragana symbol you just learned to draw exactly right now!
I have explained how to use it in my free lesson on WA and HA in Japanese grammar.
Filed under: Hiragana Chart
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