HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE
ま (ma) in hiragana
Ma in hiragana is ま. It has no separate line on the left, which tells it apart from ほ.
- Reading
- ma
- Type
ma- Katakana
- マ
- Strokes
- 3
- Audio
- see listening section
On this page
How ま is written, and why it is not ほ.
The full model: 3 strokes, numbered in order.
start end
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Memory hook: Picture a street sign standing alone: one pole through two crossbars, looping at its foot. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics
More hiragana activities
WRITE IT
How to write ま: stroke order
Pointed or round at the bottom? Teachers differ: some make the loop a small triangle pointing down, others a wide, round loop. Both are read ma; copy the model’s rounded loop.
Shape: Tall and narrow: two bars, crossed by a long stroke that sticks out on top and loops at the bottom.
In this model, every stroke stops. Japanese schools name three kinds of ending: Ending: Stop とめ, Ending: Hook はね, Ending: Sweep はらい. Textbooks and teachers differ on some.
Stroke 1Ending: Stop とめ
Starts left of the vertical center line, well above the horizontal one. A long, nearly level line, rising gently to the right and ending far right.
Stroke 2Ending: Stop とめ
Starts under stroke 1, just above the horizontal center line, a little to the right of where stroke 1 began. A second line, a little shorter than stroke 1.
Stroke 3Ending: Stop とめ
Starts a little right of the vertical center line, above stroke 1. Straight down through both bars to well below the middle, then curve left into a wide loop, go back up across the long line, and finish toward the lower right.
One mistake to avoid: strokes 1 and 3
- Watch for
- Starting stroke 3 at the top bar, so nothing sticks out above it and the right side looks like ほ’s.
- Fix
- Start stroke 3 above stroke 1, so its top sticks out clearly, as in the model.
Stroke diagrams adapted from KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.
READ IT
Read ま in print and in words.
ま in handwriting and three typefaces
Handwriting model Textbook style Print, plain (gothic) Print, serif (mincho)
In every typeface ま has no line on the left, and its long stroke crosses both bars. Copy the handwriting model.
Find ま inside a word.
- なまえnamaename. Up to the M row
- いまimanow. Up to the M row
- あたまatamahead. Up to the M row
- くるまkurumacar
“Up to the M row” marks a word written only with kana from the vowels to the M row of the chart, so you can read it if you learn the chart in order.
In everyday writing these words use kanji (なまえ is 名前, いま 今, あたま 頭, くるま 車); here they are in hiragana for reading practice.
TELL THEM APART
ま or ほ?
Look at the left side: ほ has a separate line there, and ま has none. The long stroke of ま also sticks out above the top bar.
A quick check
Four models, handwritten and printed: is each one ま or ほ? Only your first answer to each model counts. The models are pictures; each one is described in words after you answer.
This check changed in another tab. It now shows your latest answers.
Which reading matches this model?
Check finished.
A short practice with pictures of the shapes. It does not test pronunciation, listening or long-term recall.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Practice ま with ほ.
A short round of ま and ほ, the shapes this page compares.
Practice the whole M row: ま み む め もIt includes み, む, め and も, which this page does not teach.
Learn ま with its group in lesson 7 · 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.
- Japan Foundation: MARUGOTO-NO-KOTOBA vocabulary (readings and meanings)
- Jisho.org (JMdict): readings and common spellings
- syoka-koyoblog (penmanship): ま
- z-shogei calligraphy school: へ, ほ and ま
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: ま
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: ま
- Japanese-Lesson.com: ま み む め も
- ryohkei.com: ま
- Japan Foundation’s Irodori kana materials (spelling reference)
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
ま · ma
Ma in hiragana is ま. It has no separate line on the left, which tells it apart from ほ.
Write it, stroke by stroke.
- Starts left of center, above the middle; a long, nearly level line. — stop (とめ)
- Starts under stroke 1, above the middle; a second, shorter line. — stop (とめ)
- Starts top center, above stroke 1; down through both, a loop, then right. — stop (とめ)
Watch for: Starting stroke 3 at the top bar, so nothing sticks out above it and the right side looks like ほ’s. Fix: Start stroke 3 above stroke 1, so its top sticks out clearly, as in the model.
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/ma/
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
- ま ma
Example words
- くるま car
- なまえ name
- いま now
- あたま head