Hiragana "Ya" Coloring Pages

"Ya" in "Yagi" (Goat)

The letter on this coloring page is the Hiragana "Ya".
The word is "yagi" (goat). In the first picture on the left, a cute baby goat is standing and looking to the side.
It has small horns on its head, a beard on its chin, four legs, and a short tail.
Goats say "baa" and eat grass and tree leaves.

Hiragana "Ya" Came from the Kanji "也"

Long ago, people wrote the kanji "也" in a simple, flowing way. Over time, it became the Hiragana "Ya" we use today.
Katakana "Ya" also came from the same kanji, "也".
When Hiragana and Katakana come from the same kanji, they look a little bit alike.
Try writing Hiragana "Ya" and Katakana "Ya" side by side to compare them!

Tips for Writing Hiragana "Ya"

Hiragana "Ya" has 3 strokes.
For the 1st stroke, go from left to right, curve down on the right, and stop at the bottom.
For the 2nd stroke, draw a short slanted line near the top right.
For the 3rd stroke, draw a long slanted line from top to bottom left. Make sure it goes through the 1st stroke!
Pay close attention to where the 3 lines meet to make a beautiful Hiragana "Ya".

The 2nd Page Is Full of "Ya" Words!

On the 2nd coloring page, you will find pictures of things that start with "ya" around the big Hiragana "Ya" in the middle.
There are yasai (vegetables) like carrots and tomatoes, a tall yama (mountain), a yashinoki (palm tree) on a southern island, and yakyuu (baseball) with a bat and ball.
Try reading each name out loud!

Let's Play with "Ya" Words

Other words that start with "ya" include yakan (kettle), yakiimo (roasted sweet potato), yane (roof), and yaoya (vegetable store).
The word "yaoya" has a "ya" at both the beginning and the end!
Sometimes, "ya" is written small, like in "kya" or "sha", to combine with other letters.
See if you can find words with a small "ya" too!

How to Enjoy the 2 Coloring Pages

On the 1st coloring page, you can color the goat and the big Hiragana "Ya". Then, practice writing Hiragana "Ya" by tracing it.
On the 2nd coloring page, you can learn many "ya" words while looking at the pictures.
There is a goat on the 2nd page too! Compare it with the goat on the 1st page.

Color the Big Hiragana "Ya" with Your Favorite Colors

Try coloring inside the big Hiragana "Ya" on the top right with any colors you like.
If you change the color for each stroke—like blue for the 1st stroke, yellow for the 2nd stroke, and green for the 3rd stroke—you can clearly see where the 3 lines meet.
It is also fun to overlap 2 colors where the lines cross.

Color the Goat White and Light Gray

You can leave the goat's body white and just color the shadowy parts light gray.
Some goats are brown, or have black and white spots, so you can draw any pattern you like.
It looks cute if you color the horns and hooves light brown or gray, and color the inside of the nose and ears light pink.
Try adding some yellow-green grass under its feet.

Think of Real Colors for the 2nd Page

For the vegetables on the 2nd page, color the carrot orange, the tomato red, and the leaves green.
For the mountain, make the bottom green and the top blue or purple. It looks pretty if you leave the snow at the very top white.
Color the palm tree leaves bright green and the trunk brown.

Trace Carefully One by One

In the boxes on the bottom right, there are 8 light gray Hiragana "Ya".
Hold your pencil the right way. Trace slowly over the gray lines without going outside.
Use the lines in the middle of each box as clues. They help you make the letter look balanced.
The short 2nd line and the long 3rd line go in different directions. Look closely at the model as you trace.
Every time you write one, compare it with the big Hiragana "Ya" model.

Goats Have Mysterious Eyes

If you look closely at a goat's eyes, the pupils are shaped like long horizontal rectangles.
It is said that these eyes help them see wide all around them.
Try taking a gentle look at a goat's eyes at a zoo or a petting farm.

Masters of Climbing Cliffs

Goats are really good at hopping up steep mountain cliffs.
Their hooves are split into two parts, so they can grip bumpy rocks tightly.
Even baby goats can stand up right after they are born and bounce around happily.

Goat Milk

Goats are animals that have lived together with people for a long time to give us milk.
Cheese is also made from goat milk.
In some countries in the world, people drink goat milk even more than cow milk.

Both Males and Females Have Beards

You might think that only male goats have chin beards.
But actually, female goats often have beards and horns too.
They look like sheep, but you can tell them apart by checking if they have a beard.