HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE
せ (se) in hiragana
Se in hiragana is せ: two lines cross its long bar, which tells it apart from そ.
On this page
How せ is written, and how it differs from そ.
The full model: 3 strokes, numbered in order.
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Memory hook: Picture a long bench whose legs are pushed down through the board: a short right leg, and a longer left leg that bends along the floor. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics
More hiragana activities
WRITE IT
How to write せ: stroke order
Shape: Wider than tall: a long bar crossed by two lines; the left one turns and runs along the bottom.
In this model, strokes 1 and 3 stop and stroke 2 ends in a hook. 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, just above the horizontal one. A long line rising gently to the right, ending far right: it is the widest part of せ.
Stroke 2Ending: Hook はね
Starts right of the vertical center line, near the top: the highest point of せ. Straight down through stroke 1 to below the horizontal center line, then a small hook up to the left.
Stroke 3Ending: Stop とめ
Starts left of the vertical center line, above stroke 1 but lower than stroke 2. Straight down through stroke 1; level with the end of stroke 2, curve round and run right along the bottom, stopping short of the right end of stroke 1.
One mistake to avoid: strokes 1 and 3
- Watch for
- Stroke 3 runs as far right as stroke 1, or farther.
- Fix
- Stop stroke 3 short of the right end of stroke 1, as in the model.
Stroke diagrams adapted from KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.
READ IT
Read せ in print and in words.
せ in handwriting and three typefaces
Handwriting model Textbook style Print, plain (gothic) Print, serif (mincho)
In every typeface two lines cross せ’s long bar, and the left one turns along the bottom. Copy the handwriting model.
Find せ inside a word.
- せきsekiseat. Up to the S row
- せかいsekaiworld. Up to the S row
- がくせいgakuseistudentThe い usually makes the e long: said ga-ku-sē.
- みせmisestore; shop
“Up to the S row” marks a word written only with kana from the vowels to the S row of the chart, so you can read it if you learn the chart in order.
In everyday writing these words use kanji (せき is 席, せかい 世界, がくせい 学生, みせ 店); here they are in hiragana for reading practice.
TELL THEM APART
せ or そ: is the long bar crossed?
Look at the long bar: in せ two lines cross it, and the left one turns and runs along the bottom; そ has a zigzag above its long line, and nothing crosses it. (Katakana サ (sa) looks close too, but its last stroke curves away to the lower left; せ’s last stroke turns right along the bottom.)
A quick check
Four models, handwritten and printed. Look at the long bar: is each one せ or そ? 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.
WITH DAKUTEN
ぜ (ze): せ with dakuten.
Two short marks, called dakuten, change se to ze. They sit in the upper right corner, right of the top of stroke 2; write them last, the left one first.
Type ze.
- かぜ kaze · wind Another かぜ, written 風邪, means “a cold.”
- ぜんぶ zenbu · all; everything
YOUR NEXT STEP
Practice せ with そ.
A short round of せ and そ, the shapes this page compares.
Practice the whole S row: さ し す せ そIt includes さ, し and す, which this page does not teach.
Learn せ with its group in lesson 3 · 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): せ
- z-shogei calligraphy school: せ, そ and た
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: せ
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: せ
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: dakuten
- Japanese-Lesson.com: さ し す せ そ
- ryohkei.com: せ and ぜ
- Benesse Education Information: hiragana children often misread, including せ and そ
- Wiktionary: easily confused kana (せ and katakana サ)
- Hiragana and katakana: tips for avoiding confusion (サ and せ)
- 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
せ · se
Se in hiragana is せ: two lines cross its long bar, which tells it apart from そ.
Write it, stroke by stroke.
- Starts far left, just above the middle; the long bar, rising gently right. — stop (とめ)
- Starts top right, the highest point; down through stroke 1, hooks left. — hook (はね)
- Starts left, above stroke 1; down through it, round, right; stop short. — stop (とめ)
Watch for: Stroke 3 runs as far right as stroke 1, or farther. Fix: Stop stroke 3 short of the right end of stroke 1, 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/se/
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
- せ se
Example words
- かぜ wind
- せき seat
- がくせい studentSound hint (draft): Commonly sounds like がくせー. Keep the kana spelling がくせい; sustain each long vowel for two beats.
- みせ store; shop
- せかい world