HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE
め (me) in hiragana
Me in hiragana is め. Its long stroke ends with no loop, which tells it apart from ぬ.
- Reading
- me
- Type
me- Katakana
- メ
- Strokes
- 2
- Audio
- see listening section
On this page
How め is written, and why it is not ぬ.
The full model: 2 strokes, numbered in order.
start end
This browser is not saving your study set, so it lasts for this visit.
Memory hook: Picture two metal wires crossing, the long one curving around but too stiff to curl into a loop. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics
More hiragana activities
WRITE IT
How to write め: stroke order
Shape: Round and a little wider than tall: a short slant on the left, crossed twice by one long stroke that swings round and sweeps back with no loop.
In this model, stroke 1 stops and stroke 2 sweeps. 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 far left of the vertical center line, well above the horizontal one and lower than the start of stroke 2. A steep slant down to the right, bowing very slightly; stop left of the vertical center line, in the lower half.
Stroke 2Ending: Sweep はらい
Starts just right of the vertical center line, near the top. A long slant down to the left that crosses stroke 1 low down; turn at the bottom left, go back up through stroke 1 and across the slant, swing round in a big curve on the right, then sweep back to the left with no loop, ending a little right of the center line, near the bottom.
One mistake to avoid: strokes 1 and 2
- Watch for
- The long slant crosses stroke 1 high up, so the space between them closes.
- Fix
- Bring the slant down to cross stroke 1 low, near its foot, then turn and go back up, as in the model.
Stroke diagrams adapted from KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.
READ IT
Read め in print and in words.
め in handwriting and three typefaces
Handwriting model Textbook style Print, plain (gothic) Print, serif (mincho)
In every typeface め’s long stroke ends with no loop. Copy the handwriting model.
Find め inside a word.
- めmeeyeA word of just one kana.. Up to the M row
- あめamerainAnother あめ means “candy” (飴); in writing, kanji tell them apart.. Up to the M row
- めがねmeganeglasses (eyeglasses)
- はじめましてhajimemashiteNice to meet you.A set phrase, said when you meet someone for the first time.
“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.
めがね and はじめまして are often written in kana; in everyday writing め is 目 and あめ (rain) 雨. The others are in hiragana here for reading practice.
TELL THEM APART
め or ぬ?
Look at where the long stroke ends: め sweeps back to the left with no loop, and ぬ curls into a small loop at the lower right.
A quick check
Four models, handwritten and printed: め or ぬ? 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 め with ぬ.
A short round of め and ぬ, the shapes this page compares.
Practice the whole M row: ま み む め もIt includes ま, み, む and も, which this page does not teach.
Learn め 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): め
- z-shogei calligraphy school: み, む and め
- z-shogei calligraphy school: あ, め and ぬ
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: め
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: め
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: め in pen
- Japanese-Lesson.com: ま み む め も
- ryohkei.com: め
- Benesse Education Information: hiragana children often misread (ぬ and め)
- Print Kids (ぷりんときっず): look-alike hiragana worksheets (ぬ and め)
- 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
め · me
Me in hiragana is め. Its long stroke ends with no loop, which tells it apart from ぬ.
Write it, stroke by stroke.
- Starts far left, high; a steep slant down to the right, bowing slightly. — stop (とめ)
- Starts top, just right of center; slant down-left, up, round, then sweeps. — sweep (はらい)
Watch for: The long slant crosses stroke 1 high up, so the space between them closes. Fix: Bring the slant down to cross stroke 1 low, near its foot, then turn and go back up, 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/me/
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
- め me
Example words
- あめ rain
- めがね glasses (eyeglasses)
- はじめまして Nice to meet you (first greeting)
- め eye