Hiragana "Ne" Coloring Pages

"Ne" in "Neko"

This coloring page is for practicing the hiragana "Ne."
On the left, there is a cute kitten sitting and facing front.
It has pointy triangular ears and long whiskers, and its tail is curled around its body.
On the top right, you will see a big outlined "Ne" and the word "Neko," and on the bottom right, there are boxes for tracing practice.

2 Coloring Pages of Hiragana "Ne"

The first page is a new coloring page that brings together a picture on the left, a big "ね", and tracing practice.
The second page is a coloring page with lots of pictures of things that start with "ね" around the big "ね" in the middle.
There are names under the pictures too, like mouse, green onion, New Year's card, and screw.
A cat and a mouse are together on the second page, so try to find them!

Hiragana "Ne" Was Born from "祢"

Hiragana are letters that people long ago made by simplifying Kanji.
The Kanji that became "ね" is "祢".
It is said that as people wrote "祢" quickly without stopping, the left side turned into a straight line and the right side turned into a swirling line, making the "ね" we use today.

Tips for writing Hiragana "Ne"

Hiragana "Ne" is written with 2 strokes.
The 1st stroke is a straight vertical line.
The 2nd stroke goes across, turns down diagonally to the left, loops around to the upper right, and ends in a little loop at the bottom.
The characters "れ" and "わ" look very similar!
Hiragana "Ne" ends with a loop, "れ" flicks outward at the end, and "わ" rounds off inside, so pay close attention to how each one ends.

Words starting with "ぬ" (Hiragana "Ne")

Words that start with "ne" include mouse (nezumi), green onion (negi), screw (neji), and clay (nendo).
"Ne" is also used at the end of words to share your feelings, like saying "it is fun, isn't it?" or "it is pretty, isn't it?"
The text on this coloring page uses "ne" a lot, too.
Try counting how many you can find!

The word "Neko"

"Neko" (cat) is a familiar animal that has lived alongside humans for a very long time.
It is said that in Japan, people started keeping them as pets to protect important food and books from mice.
Their "meow" sounds and fluffy fur make them loved by many people.
Let's learn the word "Neko" and the Hiragana "Ne" together!

For the Big "Hiragana "Ne"", Make the Loop Stand Out

Color the big outlined "Hiragana "Ne"" with your favorite colors.
If you use different colors for the first vertical stroke and the second curvy stroke, it is easy to see that it has two strokes.
It is also fun to make the final loop a dark color.

Color the Kitten with Any Pattern You Like

Cat fur comes in many colors like brown, black, gray, and white.
If you use orangey-brown and add stripes, you get a red tabby. If you use white, black, and brown, you get a calico cat.
Make the inside of the ears and the nose pink, and the eyes yellow or green to make it look just like a real cat.
If you leave the whiskers white, it will look super neat.

For the Second Page, Think About Real Colors

Try coloring the mouse gray, and the green onion white and green.
If you color the screw a silvery gray, it will look like real metal.
For the New Year's card, pretend you are drawing a picture and color it with your favorite colors.

Tracing Practice

In the bottom right box, there are 8 light gray "Hiragana "Ne"" letters lined up.
Hold your pencil the right way and trace slowly so you stay inside the gray lines.
The dotted lines going up, down, and across show the middle of the box. Use them to see where to start writing and where to stop.
After you write one, compare it with the big example letter.
You do not have to write all 8 at once. Try writing neatly at your own pace, like 2 letters a day.

Whiskers Are Super Sensors

A cat's whiskers are not just ordinary hair.
At the base of their whiskers, they have very sensitive nerves that can feel things around them and sense how the air moves.
It is even said that they use their whiskers to measure if they can fit through small spaces.

They Can See Well in the Dark

A cat's eyes are built so they can see well even in dark places.
When you shine a light on them at night, a cat's eyes glow brightly because the back of their eyes bounces light back out.
In bright places, their pupils turn into thin lines so it is not too bright for them.

Cats Love to Sleep

It is said that cats spend more than half of the day sleeping.
Some people say their name comes from "sleeping child," but no one knows for sure.
They look so cozy when they sleep curled up in a ball, don't they?

February 22 Is Cat Day

February 22 is "Cat Day."
It was chosen because 2, 2, and 2 sound like a cat's meow, "Nyan, Nyan, Nyan."
Have fun with a cat coloring page on this day!