Hiragana "Bya" Coloring Pages

The "Bya" in "Byakko"

The character on this coloring page is the hiragana Hiragana "Bya".
The word is "byakko". In kanji, it is written as "白虎", and it means a white tiger.
In stories from old China, byakko is a godly creature that guards a direction.
In the picture on the left, a white tiger is standing proudly, facing sideways.
Only the outlines of its stripes are drawn with lines.

Two Characters for One Sound

To write Hiragana "Bya", you combine two characters: "び" (bi) and a small "ゃ" (ya).
You write two characters, but when you read it, you do not split it into "bi" and "ya". You say them together as one sound.
This kind of sound is called a contracted sound.
If you write it with a big "や" as "びや" (biya), it becomes two sounds, and it can turn into a different word.
The sound changes depending on whether there is a small character or not.

How Hiragana "Bya" Came to Be

The character "び" (bi) is "ひ" (hi) with two dots (dakuten) added.
Hiragana characters were born when people long ago wrote kanji in a simplified, flowing way.
"ひ" came from simplifying the kanji "比".
The small "ゃ" is a smaller version of a normal-sized "や". "や" comes from simplifying the kanji "也".
Kanji from very long ago took a long time to become the simple shapes we use today.

Tips for Writing

You write "ひ" with 1 stroke.
Start at the top left, go down and make a big round curve, go up to the top right, and bring it down a little at the end.
It looks nice if you make the bulge in the middle even on both sides.
For the two dots, write 2 short dots at the top right after you finish writing the character.
When writing horizontally, write the small "ゃ" small in the bottom left of the box. When writing vertically, write it small in the top right.
Be careful not to mix up where the dots and the "ゃ" go!

Words with Hiragana "Bya"

There are not many words that start with Hiragana "Bya".
Besides "byakko", there is "byakuya" (white night), which is when the sky stays bright even at night.
Actually, Hiragana "Bya" is also in the number "sanbyaku" (300)!
If you count "hyaku, nihyaku, sanbyaku," you can tell that "hya" changes to "bya".
Try saying it out loud to check the difference in sound!

Color the big Hiragana "Bya" in your favorite colors

Try coloring inside the big Hiragana "Bya" at the top right with your favorite colors.
Dark colors like blue, purple, or gold are great choices to make the white tiger stand out!
If you use different colors for "び", "ゃ", and the dots, you can easily see how the letter is made.

Leave the white tiger white

The Byakko is a white tiger, so it is best to leave its body white.
If you add just a little bit of light gray or light blue to the shady spots on its belly and legs, its white fur will look soft and fluffy.
Color the stripes with dark gray or black to make them pop against the white body.
Try coloring the eyes blue or gold, and the nose light pink.
If you color the background in dark blue or purple, the white tiger will look like it is glowing even more.
Adding lines for clouds and wind will make it look just like a magical creature!

Trace the letters with a pencil

In the boxes on the bottom right, there are 4 sets of light gray Hiragana "Bya".
Hold your pencil the right way, and trace slowly over the gray lines without going outside.
Use the vertical and horizontal center lines inside the boxes to help you see the right size and place for the letter.
Be careful where you put them: the dots go on the top right, and the small "ゃ" goes on the bottom left of its box.
Each time you trace a set, say "bya" out loud.
Once you trace all 4 sets, try writing Hiragana "Bya" by yourself outside the boxes, too!

Creatures That Guard the 4 Directions

An ancient Chinese belief says that 4 special creatures guard the 4 directions: East, West, South, and North.
The East is guarded by Seiryu, a blue dragon. The West is guarded by Byakko, a white tiger. The South is guarded by Suzaku, a red bird. And the North is guarded by Genbu, a turtle with a snake wrapped around it.
Together, these 4 creatures are called the "Four Gods."

Hiragana "Bya" Inside an Ancient Tomb

Inside an old tomb called the Kitora Tomb in Nara Prefecture, there are paintings of the Four Gods on the walls.
The painting of Hiragana "Bya" is on the west wall.
These paintings were made about 1,300 years ago, and you can still see them today!

Real White Tigers

You can sometimes see real white tigers at places like the zoo.
They are the same kind of animal as regular tigers, but they are born with a special trait that makes their fur lighter.
White tigers often have blue eyes.

Every Tiger Has Different Stripes

Every single tiger has a different pattern of stripes.
Just like human fingerprints, you can tell tigers apart by their stripes.
Take a close look at the stripes on the Hiragana "Bya" coloring page, too!