Hiragana "O" Coloring Pages

"O" as in "Onigiri"

Hiragana "O" is the 5th and last letter of "A-I-U-E-O".
On the first coloring page, you can see a triangle rice ball with seaweed for "O" in "Onigiri".
You can even see the tiny grains of rice!
Rice balls are a favorite food that everyone loves to eat in lunch boxes and on field trips.

2 Coloring Pages

There are two Hiragana "O" coloring pages on this page.
On the first page, there is a rice ball with seaweed on the left. On the top right, there is a big outlined "O" and the word "Onigiri". On the bottom right, there are boxes for you to trace the letter "O".
The second coloring page has a big "O" in the middle, surrounded by lots of pictures of things that start with "O".
You will find pictures like a wolf, an ogre, a plate, and oden, with their names written underneath.
Try saying each name out loud as you color!
On both coloring pages, the big "O" is drawn with an outline, so you can color inside it.
When you color the picture and the word together, it helps you connect the letter with the word so you can remember it easily.

Hiragana "O" Came from "於"

Hiragana were made by writing Kanji in a simpler, curvier way.
The original Kanji for Hiragana "O" is "於".
It is said that the left side of "於" became the main body of Hiragana "O", and the right side became the dot on the top right.
Katakana "オ" also comes from the left side of the same Kanji, "於".

Tips for Writing Hiragana "O"

You write Hiragana "O" with 3 strokes.
The 1st stroke is a line going across. The 2nd stroke goes down from the top, turns to the left, and loops around to make a big circle.
The 3rd stroke is a small dot on the top right.
It looks a lot like "A", so look closely so you do not mix them up!

Let's Find Words Starting with Hiragana "O"

Words that start with Hiragana "O" include snacks, flowers, music, bowing, and festivals.
Sometimes, people add "O" to the front of a word to sound polite.
For example, saying "Omizu" instead of "Mizu" for water, or "Osara" instead of "Sara" for a plate.
Let's look for other words you can say with an "O" at the start!

Color the big Hiragana "O" with your favorite colors

Try using three different colors for the big outlined Hiragana "O": one for the line across, one for the line with the loop, and one for the dot at the top right.
If you color just the dot red, it will help you remember to write it.
If you leave the inside of the loop uncolored and white, the letter's shape will stand out clearly.

Rice balls are all about black and white contrast

For the rice, you can leave the paper white, or add a layer of very pale yellow to make a fluffy rice ball.
Try coloring the seaweed black or dark green.
Making the seaweed dark makes the white rice look even better.

Fill the second coloring page with fun colors

Color the ogre red or blue and its horns yellow to make it look like a real Setsubun ogre.
For the oden, color the radish light brown and the egg white and yellow to make it look yummy.

Trace each letter one by one with a pencil

There are 8 light gray Hiragana "O" lined up in the bottom right boxes.
Hold your pencil the right way and slowly trace over the gray lines.
The dashed lines inside the boxes tell you where the middle of the letter is.
Don't forget to trace the dot at the top right at the end.
It is okay to go slow at first. Take your time writing each one carefully.
When you finish tracing, check if you stayed inside the gray lines.
You can even draw a flower star next to the one you wrote best.

Onigiri and Omusubi

Onigiri is also called "omusubi".
They are the exact same food! People just use different names depending on where they live or what their family calls it.
What do you call it at your house?
People say the name "onigiri" comes from the word "nigiru," which means to press and shape rice with your hands.

Onigiri Come in Many Shapes, Not Just Triangles!

Besides the triangle shape, onigiri can also be round or shaped like a drum, called a tawara shape.
There are so many yummy fillings to put inside too, like pickled plum, salmon, kelp, and tuna!
Think about your favorite filling while you color Hiragana "O".

"O" and "Wo" Sound the Same

Usually, "お" ("o") and "を" ("wo") are read with the exact same sound.
You use "を" ("wo") to connect words together, like in "hon wo yomu" (read a book).
Try writing both "お" ("o") and "を" ("wo") when you write "onigiri wo taberu" (eat onigiri)!

Oni and Bean Throwing for Setsubun

The oni (ogre) on the second coloring page shows up on Setsubun day.
People throw beans and say, "Demons out! Good luck in!" to chase away bad things.
Setsubun is the day before the first day of spring.