Hiragana "Nu" Coloring Pages

The Sound and Role of Hiragana "Nu"

Hiragana "Nu" combines the "n" sound with the "u" vowel sound. It has a soft sound that hums nicely through your nose. It makes words feel gentle and warm. In old Japanese, it was used to say "not." Even today, people use it in phrases like "before you know it" to show time passing. It is a very helpful sound that brings rich meaning to Japanese.

How the Letter Was Made: From the Kanji "奴"

Hiragana letters came from kanji that were written super fast and smoothly. The kanji that made Hiragana "Nu" is "奴," which meant a helper or friend.

• First stroke: The left side of the kanji turned into a strong slanted line.

• Second stroke: The right side was made much simpler. You sweep around big and end with a little loop at the bottom!

  Knowing this shows you that the little loop at the end is not just for decoration. It is a main part that holds the letter together!

How to Spot the Difference: Similar Letters

The most important trick for learning Hiragana "Nu" is knowing how it is different from "Me" (め) and "Ne" (ね).

• Hiragana "Nu" and "Me": Hiragana "Nu" ends with a little loop. "Me" sweeps outward without a loop. That little loop changes the whole letter!

• Hiragana "Nu" and "Ne": The start of the stroke is different, but both end with a little loop.

  When you practice looking for these small differences, you will get much better at reading all hiragana!

Fun Words Starting with Hiragana "Nu"

Our learning coloring page shows fun words starting with Hiragana "Nu" that you can find every day. Color them to learn the words easily!

Coloring the Loop of Hiragana "Nu"

When you color the big Hiragana "Nu" in the middle, try to highlight where the lines cross and loop.

• Show the flow: Color the spot where the first and second lines overlap a little darker. It makes your stroke look real and pop out!

• Pop the loop: Color the little twist at the end with a bright color like gold or neon. This helps you remember how the letter looks!

• Fun patterns inside: Fill the thick letter outline with stripes or patch patterns made of cloth. It is so fun and creative!

Cool Tricks for Pictures

Here are neat ways to color each picture so they look real!

• Fluffy and smooth: Use soft pastels for the stuffed animal. Color softly in gentle circles to make it look fluffy! For cloth, draw straight shadow lines along the folds.

• Fresh and quiet: Leave a little white spot on the pickled cucumber to make it shiny. Mix dark greens and blues for the swamp to make it look deep and quiet.

• Light and funny: Color the cicada shell with light brown. Leave space around it empty so it looks like a real shell! Carefully color the swirling vine patterns for the thief to make a funny, silly picture.

Make Your Own Story in the Background

The background is super important to bring your picture to life!

• Imagine applying ointment and draw small bandages around it. Or draw yourself having fun doing a coloring page in the open space!

• Softly shade the back with light yellow or green. This makes Hiragana "Nu" and all the pictures stand out nicely. You will love how it looks!

It was born from the kanji "奴"!

The Hiragana "Nu" came from the kanji "奴" (nu/yatsu), which means a person. It is said that the left side "女" and the right side "又" squeezed together and transformed into the shape of Hiragana "Nu" today.

Don't mix it up with "め"!

Hiragana "Nu" looks a lot like the hiragana "め". The biggest difference is that you make a little loop at the very end. "め" ends with a smooth stroke, but Hiragana "Nu" curls up just like a tail.

Does it look like chopsticks holding a bean?

Look closely at where the first slanted line and the second curved line cross. Doesn't it look like you are using chopsticks to hold a small, round bean? Try writing it by moving your fingers carefully!

What words have "ぬ" in them?

Words starting with Hiragana "Nu" are hidden all around you, like stuffed animals (nuigurumi) that everyone loves, coloring pages (nurie) for playing with colors, and cloth (nuno) for making clothes. The marsh (numa) where Mr. Frog lives also starts with Hiragana "Nu"!