minimachi

HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE

み (mi) in hiragana

Mi in hiragana is み: a long line runs out to the right, crossed by a short second stroke.

Reading
mi
Type
mi
Katakana
ミ
Strokes
2
Audio
see listening section
On this page

How み is written, and how it differs from め.

The full model: 2 strokes, numbered in order.

start end

A similar shape
め · meIts long stroke swings round and sweeps back to the left.

Memory hook: Picture a stream with a sharp bend at the top, a small loop, then a long run to the right, crossed by a little bridge. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics

More hiragana activities

WRITE IT

How to write み: stroke order

Is み 2 strokes or 3? Two. The short top, the long diagonal, the loop and the long line are all stroke 1: you can slow down at the loop, but do not lift the pen. The short curve is stroke 2.

Shape: About as wide as it is tall: a short top that turns sharply into a long diagonal, a small loop at the lower left, a long line out to the right, and a short curve across it.

In this model, stroke 1 stops and stroke 2 sweeps. 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, well above the horizontal one. A short line to the right, rising slightly, as far as the vertical center line; turn sharply and run down to the left in a long diagonal. Near the bottom, curve round into a small loop at the lower left, cross back over the diagonal, and run out to the right, dipping gently, to end far right in the lower half.

  2. Stroke 2Sweep はらい

    Starts well right of the vertical center line, at the horizontal one, above the long line of stroke 1. Curve down to the left, crossing the long line toward its right end, and sweep away to end near the bottom, just right of the vertical center line.

One mistake to avoid: strokes 1 and 2

Watch for
The long line of stroke 1 stops short, so stroke 2 crosses it right at its end.
Fix
Run the long line well out to the right, so stroke 2 crosses it some way before its end, 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 み in print and in words.

み in handwriting and three typefaces

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

In every typeface み keeps its loop at the lower left and its long line out to the right, crossed by the short second stroke. Copy the handwriting model.

Find み inside a word.

  • mimiearUp to the M row
  • minamisouthUp to the M row
  • nomimonodrink; beverageFrom のみ (nomi, the part before ます in のみます, “drink”) and もの (mono, “thing”).Up to the M row
  • mizuwater

“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 (みみ is 耳, みなみ 南, のみもの 飲み物, みず 水); here they are in hiragana for reading practice.

Read more words with み

TELL THEM APART

み or め?

み · miA long line out to the right, with a short stroke across it.
め · meIts long stroke swings round and sweeps back to the left.

Follow the long stroke to its end: み runs it out to the right and crosses it with a short second stroke; め swings it round the right side and sweeps it back to the left. み also starts with a short line across the top and a sharp turn.

Open the guide for me (め)

A quick check

Four models, two handwritten and two printed: み or め? Only your first answer to each model counts.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Practice み with め.

A short round of み and め, the shapes this page compares.

Practice み and めFlip them as flash cards

Practice the whole M row: ま み む め もIt includes ま, む and も, which this page does not teach.

Learn み 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.

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

み · mi

Mi in hiragana is み: a long line runs out to the right, crossed by a short second stroke.

Writing model
1
2

Write it, stroke by stroke.

  1. Starts left, high; across, a long diagonal, a loop, then right. — stop (とめ)
  2. Starts well right, at the middle; curves down-left across the line. — sweep (はらい)

Watch for: The long line of stroke 1 stops short, so stroke 2 crosses it right at its end. Fix: Run the long line well out to the right, so stroke 2 crosses it some way before its end, as in the model.

みみ · mimi · earみなみ · minami · southのみもの · nomimono · drink; beverage

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/mi/

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

  • み mi

Example words

  • のみもの drink
  • みみ ear
  • みなみ south
  • みず water