Hiragana "Be" Coloring Pages

The "Be" in "Bento"

The letter on this coloring page is the Hiragana "Be".
The word is "bento" (lunch box). In Kanji, you write it as "弁当".
The picture on the left shows an open bento box.
Inside, there are two rice balls, a rolled omelet, octopus-shaped sausages, broccoli, and a cherry tomato.
It is so exciting to open your bento box on school trips or sports days!

Hiragana "Be" Comes from "He"

Hiragana "Be" is made by adding tenten (dots) to "He".
The original "He" turned into its shape today as people simplified the Kanji "部" when writing.
When you add the dots, the sound changes from "He" to the voiced sound "Be".
"He" and "Be" look almost the same in both Hiragana and Katakana!

How to Write It

You write "He" with just 1 stroke.
Start on the left, go up and to the right a little bit, turn at the top of the mountain, and go down to the right for a longer line.
Make the going-up line short and the going-down line long to make it look nice!
Try to put the top of the mountain a little bit to the left of the center.
At the end, write two small dots at the top right. Write them small in the open space above the line that goes down.

Words with Hiragana "Be"

Words that start with "Be" include benkyo (studying), beruto (belt), beddo (bed), and beranda (veranda).
In "benkyo", "kyo" makes one sound using "ki" and a small "yo".
Some words have Hiragana "Be" in the middle or at the end, like nabe (pot), kabe (wall), and kurabekko (comparing contest).
Try to find things in the kitchen that have "Be" in them!

How to Use This Coloring Page

This coloring page has a picture of a bento on the left. On the top right, there is a big Hiragana "Be" and the vertical word "bento". On the bottom right, there are boxes for tracing.
First, look at the picture and say "bento" out loud.
Next, color in the big Hiragana "Be". Finally, trace the letters. This way, you can learn the letter in three ways: by looking, saying, and writing!
It is also fun to put this next to the "He" coloring page to compare if it has dots or not!

Color the big Hiragana "Be" in your favorite colors

The big Hiragana "Be" is made with just 1 stroke. Try changing colors where you go up and where you go down!
For example, if you color the going-up part yellow and the going-down part orange, you can really see the mountain shape.
If you color the dots red or green, they look just like a cherry tomato or broccoli in a lunchbox!

Color the side dishes with real colors

Leave the rice on the rice ball white, and color the nori seaweed black or dark green.
Color the rolled omelet yellow. Add a little orange to the cooked edges to make it look yummy!
Color the octopus sausage red or pink, the broccoli green, and the cherry tomato red.
If you leave a tiny white shiny spot on the cherry tomato, it will look super shiny!

Color the bento box any color you like

Color the bento box in any color you want to use, like light blue, pink, or yellow-green.
Light colors are great because they make the food inside stand out bright and bold!
You can even draw your favorite animals or stars on the lid.

Think of the mountain shape when you trace

Trace Hiragana "Be" in the bottom-right boxes with a pencil.
Draw the going-up line short, and the going-down line long, all in one stroke.
Look at the center lines in the box to check if the top of the mountain is in the right spot.
You will get really good if you trace all 8 of them, one by one, very carefully.
When you draw them well, say "Itadakimasu!" with a big smile, just like before you eat lunch!

"BENTO" Is Famous All Over the World

Japanese bento box lunches are popular in other countries too, and they are even called "BENTO" in English.
Putting many different side dishes neatly into a small box is what makes a Japanese bento special.
Kyaraben, where food is made into the shapes of animals or characters, is also very famous.

Bento Boxes Sold at Train Stations

Bento boxes sold at train stations or on trains are called Ekiben.
Many of them use fish, meat, and vegetables from that local area.
When you go on a trip, it is fun to look for that area's Ekiben!

Bento Boxes Made of Wood

Odate Mage-wappa from Akita Prefecture is a bento box made by bending thin wooden boards into shape.
The wood absorbs just the right amount of moisture from the rice, so people say the rice stays delicious even when it gets cold.
It is a traditional Japanese craft that has been made for a very long time.

Octopus Sausages

If you cut slits into the end of a wiener sausage and cook it, the cut parts curl up and look just like octopus legs!
It is the octopus sausage, a popular favorite in bento boxes.
It would be fun to try making them together with someone in your family!