minimachi

HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE

き (ki) in hiragana

Ki in hiragana is き. Written by hand it has 4 strokes; print often joins the lower part.

Reading
ki
Type
ki
Katakana
キ
Strokes
4
With dakuten
ぎ gi
Audio
see listening section
On this page

Handwritten and printed. Both are ki.

Handwriting model: the lower stroke is separate

The full model: 4 strokes, numbered in order.

start end

Ki in print, with its lower part joined to the strokes above it
Joined, in printMany printed fonts join the lower part. It is still き.

The lower curved stroke is usually separate in handwriting. Copy the four-stroke model.

Memory hook: Picture a key with two crossbars and a separate curved end. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics

More hiragana activities

WRITE IT

How to write き: stroke order

Is き 3 or 4 strokes? Four, when you write it: the lower curve is its own stroke. Many printed fonts join it to the slant above, so it can look like three.

Shape: Tall and narrow, like an upright oval.

In this model, strokes 1, 2 and 4 stop and stroke 3 ends in a hook. Japanese schools name three kinds of ending: Stop とめ, Hook はね, Sweep はらい. Textbooks and teachers differ on some.

  1. Stroke 1Stop とめ

    Starts left of the vertical center line, near the top. A short line rising gently to the right, across the center line.

  2. Stroke 2Stop とめ

    Starts a little right of where stroke 1 began, just above the horizontal center line. A second line, parallel to the first and a little longer.

  3. Stroke 3Hook はね

    Starts left of the center line, near the top. A long slant down to the right, across both lines; at the bottom, turn back and flick to the left.

  4. Stroke 4Stop とめ

    A separate stroke. Starts low on the left, under stroke 2, and curves right like a shallow bowl, ending well past the center line, a little short of where stroke 3 turns back.

One mistake to avoid: strokes 1 and 2

Watch for
Writing the two top lines far apart.
Fix
Keep the second line above the horizontal center line, as far below the first as in the model: not far apart, not squeezed together.
Practice writingMake a writing sheetSee it on the stroke-order chart

Stroke diagrams adapted from KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.

READ IT

Read き in print and in words.

き in handwriting and three typefaces

  • Handwriting model
  • Textbook style
  • Print, plain (gothic)
  • Print, serif (mincho)

Many printed fonts join the lower stroke to the slant; the textbook style keeps it separate, as handwriting does. Copy the four-stroke model.

Find き inside a word.

  • ekistationUp to the K row
  • kikuto listen; to hear; to askUsually written 聞く.Up to the K row
  • ookiibigOne of a few words that write a long o as おお; most write it おう, as in おとうさん (otousan).Up to the K row
  • kireipretty; clean

“Up to the K row” marks a word written only with kana from the vowels to the K row of the chart, so you can read it if you learn the chart in order.

In everyday writing most of these words use kanji (えき is usually 駅); here they are in hiragana for reading practice.

Read more words with き

TELL THEM APART

き or さ?

き · kiTwo bars across the top.
き · kiIn print the lower part is often joined; there are still two bars.
さ · saOne bar across the top.

Count the bars across the top: き has two, さ has one.

Open the guide for sa (さ)

A quick check

Four models, handwritten and printed: is each one き or さ? Only your first answer to each model counts.

WITH DAKUTEN

ぎ (gi): き with dakuten.

き · ki
ぎ · gi

Two short marks at the upper right, called dakuten, change ki to gi. Write them last, the left one first, small and close to the upper right.

Type gi.

  • kagi · key
  • migi · right (side)

Practice ki and gi together

All the marked forms, and small kana

YOUR NEXT STEP

Practice き with さ.

A short round of き and さ, the shapes this page compares.

Practice き and さFlip them as flash cards

Practice the whole K row: か き く け こIt includes か, く, け and こ, which this page does not teach.

Learn き with its group in lesson 2 · Try it on the hiragana keyboard

Sources, artwork and review status

Teaching content on this page is a draft: a Japanese educator has not reviewed it yet. Generated pronunciation audio is available in the listening section.

Stroke models and drawings: KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.

Printed example: Hiragana letter Ki by Person or Persons Unknown, outlined from Noto Serif CJK JP, CC BY-SA 4.0; editor metadata removed, outline unchanged (source record).

Two typefaces are served from this site: Klee One and Noto Serif JP (SIL Open Font License). The gothic sample uses this device’s own font.

Draft teaching content · Japanese educator review pending · Approved generated audio is available in the listening section; romaji is a reading aid, not a pronunciation guide.

minimachi · HIRAGANA CHARACTER CARD

き · ki

Ki in hiragana is き. Written by hand it has 4 strokes; print often joins the lower part.

Writing model
Ki in print, with its lower part joined to the strokes above it
Joined, in print: read it, but copy the writing model
1
2
3
4

Write it, stroke by stroke.

  1. Starts left of center, near the top; a short line rising gently right. — stop (とめ)
  2. Starts under stroke 1, above the middle; a second, slightly longer line. — stop (とめ)
  3. Starts at the top; slants down across both lines, then flicks left. — hook (はね)
  4. A separate stroke: starts low left and curves right like a shallow bowl. — stop (とめ)

Watch for: Writing the two top lines far apart. Fix: Keep the second line above the horizontal center line, as far below the first as in the model: not far apart, not squeezed together.

えき · eki · stationきく · kiku · to listen; to hear; to askきれい · kirei · pretty; clean

Trace, copy, then cover the model and write from memory.

Stroke model: KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors · CC BY-SA 3.0 · kanjivg.tagaini.net · license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Printed example: Hiragana letter Ki, Person or Persons Unknown, outlined from Noto Serif CJK JP · CC BY-SA 4.0 · commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hiragana_letter_Ki.svg

Draft teaching content; Japanese educator review pending. Generated audio: see full guide.
Full guide and sources: minimachi.com/hiragana/ki/

Listen to the sounds and examples on this page

Generated speech: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech. Checked by a native Japanese speaker. Audio is available only for items with a Listen button. Listen plays at normal speed; Slow gives more listening time at the original pitch. Sound hints are drafts pending educator review.

Kana sounds

  • き ki

Example words

  • きく to listen; to hear; to ask
  • えき station
  • かぎ key
  • きれい pretty; cleanSound hint (draft): Commonly sounds like きれー. Keep the kana spelling きれい; sustain each long vowel for two beats.
  • おおきい big