HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE
た (ta) in hiragana
Ta in hiragana is た. Two short strokes on the right, with no loop, tell it apart from な.
On this page
How た is written, and why it is not な.
The full model: 4 strokes, numbered in order.
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Memory hook: Picture a taco stand: a cross on the left and two small trays stacked on the right. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics
More hiragana activities
WRITE IT
How to write た: stroke order
Shape: About square: a cross on the left with a long diagonal, and two short strokes on the right with a space between them.
In this model, strokes 1, 2 and 4 stop and stroke 3 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, well above the horizontal one. A line rising gently to the right, across the vertical center line and a little past it.
Stroke 2Ending: Stop とめ
Starts left of the vertical center line, near the top, above stroke 1. A long diagonal down to the left, through the middle of stroke 1, ending far left near the bottom.
Stroke 3Ending: Hook はね
Starts on the vertical center line, at the middle. A short line rising slightly to the right and rounding over at its end, then a small flick back down to the left, toward stroke 4.
Stroke 4Ending: Stop とめ
Starts on the vertical center line, low in the box. Down a little, then a shallow curve to the right, about as wide as stroke 3, ending no lower than the foot of stroke 2.
One mistake to avoid: stroke 2
- Watch for
- The diagonal (stroke 2) ends well above the bottom, as short as the diagonal of な.
- Fix
- Take stroke 2 down to near the bottom, so its foot is level with stroke 4 or a little lower, as in the model.
Stroke diagrams adapted from KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.
READ IT
Read た in print and in words.
た in handwriting and three typefaces
Handwriting model Textbook style Print, plain (gothic) Print, serif (mincho)
In every typeface た keeps its long diagonal and two short strokes on the right, with no loop. Copy the handwriting model.
Find た inside a word.
- うたutasong. Up to the T row
- たかいtakaihigh; expensive. Up to the T row
- あしたashitatomorrow. Up to the T row
- くつしたkutsushitasocks. Up to the T row
“Up to the T row” marks a word written only with kana from the vowels to the T row of the chart, so you can read it if you learn the chart in order.
In everyday writing these words use kanji (うた is 歌, たかい 高い, あした 明日, くつした 靴下); here they are in hiragana for reading practice.
TELL THEM APART
た or な?
Look at the right side: た has two short strokes there and no loop, while the last stroke of な comes down and ends in a loop. The diagonal of た is also longer, reaching near the bottom.
A quick check
Four models, handwritten and printed: た or な? 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
だ (da): た with dakuten.
With two short marks, called dakuten, た (ta) becomes だ (da). They sit in the upper right corner, above stroke 3 and to the right of where stroke 1 ends; write them last, the left one first. You meet だ early, in ください (kudasai), “please”.
Type da.
- だいがく daigaku · university; college
- くだもの kudamono · fruit
YOUR NEXT STEP
Practice た with な.
A short round of た and な, the shapes this page compares.
Practice the whole T row: た ち つ て とIt includes ち, つ, て and と, which this page does not teach.
Learn た with its group in lesson 4 · 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): た
- z-shogei calligraphy school: せ, そ and た
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: た
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: た
- Matsumoto Shoeido calligraphy school: dakuten
- Japanese-Lesson.com: た ち つ て と
- Japanese-Lesson.com: な に ぬ ね の (な against た)
- JapanesePod101: the hiragana T column
- JapanesePod101: the hiragana N column (た and な)
- ryohkei.com: た and だ
- 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
た · ta
Ta in hiragana is た. Two short strokes on the right, with no loop, tell it apart from な.
Write it, stroke by stroke.
- Starts far left, above the middle; rises gently, just past the center. — stop (とめ)
- Starts left of center, near the top; a long diagonal down-left through 1. — stop (とめ)
- Starts on the center line, at the middle; a short line, then flicks back. — hook (はね)
- Starts on the center line, low; a shallow curve right, about as wide as 3. — stop (とめ)
Watch for: The diagonal (stroke 2) ends well above the bottom, as short as the diagonal of な. Fix: Take stroke 2 down to near the bottom, so its foot is level with stroke 4 or a little lower, 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/ta/
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
- た ta
Example words
- だいがく university
- くつした socks
- うた song
- たかい high; expensive
- あした tomorrow