Hiragana "Se" Coloring Pages

"Se" in "Semi"

Hiragana "Se" is the 4th letter in the "Sa-Shi-Su-Se-So" line.
In the 1st coloring page, Hiragana "Se" is for "semi" (cicada)! You can see a min-min cicada sitting on a tree trunk from behind.
It has 6 legs, 4 clear wings with lines on them, and eyes on the left and right sides.
When summer comes, you can hear its cheerful voice calling from up in the trees!

2 Coloring Pages

There are 2 coloring pages for Hiragana "Se" on this page.
On the 1st page, you will find a cicada on a tree trunk on the left. On the top right, there is a big outlined "Se" and the word "semi". On the bottom right, there are boxes to trace Hiragana "Se".
The 2nd coloring page has a big "Se" in the middle, surrounded by many pictures of words that start with "Se".
Pictures like a senpuuki (electric fan) and senaka (back) have their names written under them.
Try saying each name out loud as you color them in!
On both coloring pages, the big "Se" is drawn with an outline, so you can color the inside.
If you color while looking at the pictures and words together, it will be easier to connect the letters with the words and remember them!

"Se" Came From the Kanji "世"

Hiragana were created by simplifying Chinese characters called Kanji.
The original Kanji for "Se" was "世".
The horizontal line and two vertical lines of "世" still remain in the shape of "Se".
Katakana "セ" was also made from the same Kanji "世"!

Tips for Writing "Se"

Hiragana "Se" is a letter written in 3 strokes.
The 1st stroke is a long horizontal line going slightly up from left to right.
The 2nd stroke is the vertical line on the right, which makes a small upward hook to the left at the end.
The 3rd stroke is the vertical line on the left. It goes down, curves at the bottom, and goes to the right.
If you add two small dots to "Se", it becomes "Ze"!

Let's Find Words That Start With "Se"

Words that start with "Se" include senaka (back), sensei (teacher), sekai (world), sekken (soap), and sentaku (laundry).
The min-min cicada in the coloring page got its name from its chirp, which sounds like "min-min min-min".
Let's look for other creatures named after the sound they make!

For the big "せ", use your favorite colors

Try coloring the big outlined "せ" with three different colors for the horizontal line, the right vertical line, and the left curving line.
For a summery feel, we also recommend a combination of green, yellow, and light blue!

Cicadas have dark colors and clear wings

A robust cicada's body is a mix of green and black.
Color its head and chest with green and black sections. Its wings are clear, so shade them with a very light sky blue or leave them white.
If you trace the lines on the wings with dark brown or green, it will look like the real thing!
Color the tree trunk brown.

The second page also includes summer tools

If you make the electric fan's blades light blue or white, it will look nice and cool.
Try coloring the back with peach.

Trace each letter one by one with a pencil

In the bottom right boxes, there are 8 light gray Hiragana "Se".
Hold your pencil correctly and slowly trace over the gray lines.
The dotted lines inside the boxes show you the center of the character.
Be sure to turn the corner sharply when tracing the 3rd stroke.
Take your time at first and write each one carefully.
When you finish tracing, check if you stayed inside the gray lines.
It is fun to draw a big flower mark on the one you wrote the best!

Only the Males Sing

Only the male cicadas make sounds.
They vibrate a special sound maker in their belly to call out to the females with a loud voice.
Female cicadas do not sing at all.
You can tell male and female cicadas apart by looking at the shape of their bellies.
When you find a singing cicada, try sneaking up quietly to see if its belly is vibrating!

Living Underground for Many Years

Baby cicadas live underground for many years.
They drink sap from tree roots to grow big, and then come out above ground in the summer to become adults with wings.
The empty shells you see on tree trunks are left behind after the babies shed their skin.

The Mouth Is Like a Straw

A cicada's mouth is shaped like a thin straw.
They poke this mouth into tree trunks to drink the tree sap.

Adult Cicada Life

Once cicadas come out of the ground and become adults, it is said that they live above ground for about a few weeks.
During that time, the males sing to find females, and the females lay eggs in tree branches.
Listen carefully to all the cicada calls during the summer!