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HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE

こ (ko) in hiragana

Ko in hiragana is こ: two strokes, one above the other. Unlike に, it has no line on the left.

Reading
ko
Type
ko
Katakana
コ
Strokes
2
With dakuten
ご go
Audio
see listening section
On this page

How こ is written, and why it is not に or い.

The full model: 2 strokes, numbered in order.

start end

Not to be confused with
に · niAn extra long line down the left side.い · iTwo strokes side by side, standing up.

Memory hook: Picture two thin coasters seen from the side, one above the other, with a gap between them. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics

More hiragana activities

WRITE IT

How to write こ: stroke order

Is こ the katakana ニ? No. ニ is the katakana for ni: two straight lines. こ’s lines curve, and the top one turns down at its right end.

Shape: Taller than wide: two separate strokes, one above the other, with a wide space between them; the lower one is a little longer.

In this model, stroke 1 ends in a hook and stroke 2 stops. 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 1Hook はね

    Starts left of the vertical center line, well above the horizontal one. A short, nearly level line to the right, past the center line; then turn and flick down to the left, toward where stroke 2 will begin.

  2. Stroke 2Stop とめ

    Starts a little left of where stroke 1 began, below the horizontal center line. Down a short way, then round in a shallow curve to the right, ending further right than stroke 1.

One mistake to avoid: strokes 1 and 2

Watch for
Stroke 2 is shorter than stroke 1, so こ looks top-heavy.
Fix
Make stroke 2 at least as wide as stroke 1: start it a little further left and end it further right, as in the model.
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 こ in print and in words.

こ in handwriting and three typefaces

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

In print, こ’s lines can look almost straight, close to the katakana ニ (ni), but in most typefaces the top one still turns down at its right end. Copy the handwriting model.

Find こ inside a word.

  • koevoiceUp to the K row
  • kokohere; this placeUp to the K row
  • hikoukiairplaneThe う makes the o long: said hi-kō-ki.
  • kouenpark

“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.

ここ is usually written in hiragana; in everyday writing こえ is 声, ひこうき 飛行機 and こうえん 公園. The others are in hiragana here for reading practice.

Read more words with こ

TELL THEM APART

こ, に or い?

こ · koTwo strokes, one above the other, and nothing on the left.
に · niAn extra long line down the left side.
い · iTwo strokes side by side, standing up.

Check the left side first: に has a long line there, and こ has none. Then the direction: こ’s two strokes lie one above the other, while い’s stand side by side.

Open the guide for ni (に)Open the guide for i (い)

A quick check

Four models, handwritten and printed: こ, に or い? Only your first answer to each model counts.

WITH DAKUTEN

ご (go): こ with dakuten.

こ · ko
ご · go

Two short marks, called dakuten, change ko to go. They sit in the upper right corner, beyond the right end of stroke 1 and a little higher; write them last, the left one first.

Type go.

  • gogo · afternoon; p.m.
  • gochisousama · thank you for the meal (said after eating) ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita) is a little more polite.

Practice ko and go together

All the marked forms, and small kana

YOUR NEXT STEP

Practice こ with に and い.

A short round of こ, に and い, the shapes this page compares.

Practice こ, に and いFlip them as flash cards

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

Learn こ 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.

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

こ · ko

Ko in hiragana is こ: two strokes, one above the other. Unlike に, it has no line on the left.

Writing model
1
2

Write it, stroke by stroke.

  1. Starts left of center, high up; a short line right, then flicks down-left. — hook (はね)
  2. Starts lower left, under stroke 1; a shallow curve right, a little longer. — stop (とめ)

Watch for: Stroke 2 is shorter than stroke 1, so こ looks top-heavy. Fix: Make stroke 2 at least as wide as stroke 1: start it a little further left and end it further right, as in the model.

こえ · koe · voiceここ · koko · here; this placeひこうき · hikouki · airplane

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/

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

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

  • こ ko

Example words

  • こえ voice
  • ひこうき airplaneSound hint (draft): Commonly sounds like ひこーき. Keep the kana spelling ひこうき; sustain each long vowel for two beats.
  • こうえん parkSound hint (draft): Commonly sounds like こーえん. Keep the kana spelling こうえん; sustain each long vowel for two beats.
  • ここ here; this place