Hiragana "A" Coloring Pages

The Start of Japanese: First in the Alphabet

Hiragana "A" is the very first letter in the Japanese alphabet. It leads the five main sound groups (a, i, u, e, o) that build all Japanese words. It is the most open sound you make when you start talking!

How It Started: Beautiful Curves Born from "安"

A long time ago in the Heian period, people made Hiragana by writing Kanji characters in a fast, cursive way. Hiragana "A" came from the Kanji "安" (an).

• Line 1 and Line 2: The top part of the Kanji changed into the side line and the curved down line we use today.

• Line 3: The bottom part changed into a big, energetic round curve.

  The Kanji meant "peaceful." Just like its history, Hiragana "A" has nice, soft, gentle curves!

Secret Tips to Write It Neat and Nice

Hiragana "A" has a lot of lines for a Japanese character. It can be tricky to balance, but you can make it look great with these 3 easy steps!

• Line 1: Draw a short side line going up just a little bit.

• Line 2: Start a little to the right of Line 1's middle. Curve it gently to the left as you go down.

• Line 3: Start near where the first two lines cross. Go up and make a big circle, just like drawing an egg! Stop right under where Line 1 ends.

Fun Words That Start with Hiragana "A"

You can learn many everyday words while you practice writing Hiragana "A" on your coloring page!

Coloring the Letter Shape

When you color the big Hiragana "A" in the middle, try using different colors for each stroke!

• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Strokes: Use a different color for each stroke. This makes it easy to see how the letter is made!

• Trace the Edge: Trace around the outside of Hiragana "A" with a bright color like red or blue. It will pop right off the page!

Coloring Pictures to Learn Words

Think about real colors when you color the pictures around Hiragana "A". It helps you learn!

• Hydrangea (Ajisai): Use purple or light blue. It shows the rainy season feel!

• Morning Glory (Asagao): Leave the center white. Color the outside with pink or blue to make it look like sunny summer!

• Autumn Leaves (Aki): Mix red, orange, and yellow. It shows the beauty of autumn in Japan!

Making Things Look Real

Add neat ideas to pictures of food and tools to make coloring super fun!

• Sweet Red Bean Bun (Anpan): Color it light brown. Add dark brown dots in the middle for seeds. It looks yummy!

• Ice Cream: Use soft pastel colors. Draw crisscross lines on the cone to make it look real!

Everything Starts with Hiragana "A"

Hiragana "A" is the very first letter in the Japanese 50-sound hiragana chart. When you learn hiragana at school, it is the "start of everything" that you practice first. If you can write Hiragana "A" neatly, you will get better and better at writing other letters too!

It Came from the Kanji "安"

Hiragana was made a long time ago by changing the shapes of kanji to make them easier to write. Hiragana "A" came from the kanji "安" (an), which means safe or calm. It is fun to see that their shapes look a little alike, and their sounds are similar too, going from "an" to Hiragana "A"!

Open Your Mouth Wide and Say It

When you say Hiragana "A", the trick is to open your mouth wide! It is a sound we often use when we speak in a cheerful voice, like when you are surprised and say "Ah!", or when you find something and say "Ah!".

What Words Start with Hiragana "A"?

There are so many words that start with Hiragana "A", like sweet "ame" (candy), hardworking "ari" (ant), and the "aozora" (blue sky) up above us. It is also fun to look for Hiragana "A" in your own name or in things all around you!