Hiragana "Jo" Coloring Pages

"Jo" as in "Joro" (Watering Can) for Hiragana "Jo"

The character on this coloring page is the Hiragana "Jo".
The word is "jouro" (watering can). It is a tool you use to give water to flowers and vegetables.
The picture on the left shows one watering can facing sideways.
At the tip of the long spout, there are many tiny holes, and water comes out like a shower.
At the back, there is a handle for you to hold with your hand.

Two letters make one sound

You write "Jo" by combining two characters: "Ji" and a small "Yo".
Even though you write two characters, you say them together as one sound instead of separating them into "Ji" and "Yo".
Sounds like this are called Youon.
If you use a big "Yo" and write "Jiyo", it becomes two sounds, and it can turn into a totally different word.
The sound changes depending on whether the character is small or not!

How Hiragana "Jo" Came to Be

"Jo" is the letter "Shi" with tenten (dakuten) added to it.
Hiragana came from long ago when people wrote Kanji in a fast, simplified way.
"Shi" came from the simplified shape of the Kanji "之".
The small "yo" is just a normal "yo" written smaller, and "yo" comes from the simplified shape of the Kanji "与".
Kanji from a long, long time ago changed over many years to become the easy shapes you see today!

Tips for writing

"し" is written in 1 stroke.
Go straight down from the top, make a nice round curve at the bottom, and end with a light flick up to the right.
For the two dots, write 2 short dots at the top right after you finish writing the character.
The top right of "し" is open, so try to fit the two dots right in that space.
When writing horizontally, write the small "ょ" small in the bottom left of the box. When writing vertically, write it small in the top right.
Be careful not to put the two dots and "ょ" in the wrong places!

Words that start with Hiragana "Jo"

Words that start with "jo" include "joozu" (good at something), "joogi" (ruler), and "jooro" (watering can).
There are also words with "jo" in the middle or at the end, like "ojoosan" (young lady) and "yuujoo" (friendship).
Try saying this like a tongue twister: "Joorode, joozuni mizuyari" (Watering plants skillfully with a watering can).
Can you say it 3 times in a row?

Color the Big Hiragana "Jo" in Bright Colors

Try coloring inside the outline of the big Hiragana "Jo" at the top right with your favorite colors.
If you use light blue or yellow-green to match watering, your letter will look fresh and cool.
If you change colors for "ji", "yo", and the dots, it is easy to see how the letter is made!

Color the Watering Can Any Color You Like

Color the watering can in bright colors like green, red, yellow, or orange.
If you want to make a metal watering can, color it with silver or light gray to make it look shiny!
If you make the left or right edge of the body a little darker, it will look round.
If you color the tip of the spout with all the holes a different color from the body, it will really stand out.
Color the water like thin lines using light blue, and leave a few white spots to make the water sparkle!
It is also fun to draw flowers at the bottom and pretend you are watering them.

Trace the Letters with a Pencil

In the boxes at the bottom right, there are 4 sets of light gray Hiragana "Jo".
Hold your pencil the right way and trace over the gray lines slowly so you do not go outside the lines.
Use the vertical and horizontal center lines inside the boxes as clues to help you learn the size and place of the letter.
Pay attention to where things go: the dots are on the top right, and the small "yo" goes in the bottom left of the box.
Say Hiragana "Jo" out loud every time you trace 1 set.
Once you trace all 4 sets, try writing it by yourself outside the boxes, too!

The Name of "Watering Can"

There is a theory that the word "jouro" (watering can) comes from Portuguese.
It is said that a word describing water spraying out with lots of force came to Japan and became "jouro".
It is a tool's name that is thought to come from another country's language!

The Rose (Sprinkler Nozzle)

The part at the tip of the watering can's spout with many tiny holes is called the "hasuguchi" (rose).
It got this name because it looks like the seed pod left behind after a lotus flower blooms.
When you use a rose, the water spreads out gently so it does not hurt the soil or flowers!

Morning is Best for Watering

It is said that watering in the summer is best done in the cool morning.
If you give water during the hot daytime, the water can warm up quickly.
Touch the soil to see if it is dry before you give them water!

Why the Spout is Long

The spout of a watering can is long so it is easy to reach plants that are far away, or get water right to the roots of flowers.
Some watering cans let water come straight out if you take off the rose.
You can change how the water comes out to match the plant!