Katakana "U" Coloring Pages

"U" as in "Ukulele"

Katakana "U" is the 3rd letter in the katakana alphabet.
The word for this coloring page is "ukulele." It is a string instrument that looks like a tiny guitar.
We drew one ukulele on the left side.
Try to find the 4 strings, the round hole in the middle, and the 4 pegs at the top.
The pegs are parts you turn to tighten or loosen the strings to tune the sounds.

Katakana "U" Comes From the Kanji "宇"

Katakana letters were made by taking small parts of kanji characters.
Katakana "U" came from the top part of the kanji "宇," which is called the "u-kanmuri" roof radical.
The u-kanmuri radical looks like a roof. You can also find it in kanji like "家" (house) and "空" (sky).
The hiragana "う" was also made from the same kanji "宇" by writing it in a smooth, curvy way.
That is why Katakana "U" and hiragana "う" look very similar with a dot on top!

How to Write Katakana "U"

You write Katakana "U" with 3 strokes.
For the 1st stroke, write a short straight dot down in the top middle.
For the 2nd stroke, write a short straight line down on the left side.
For the 3rd stroke, start from the top of the 2nd stroke, draw a line to the right, bend at the corner, and sweep down to the left.
If you write the 1st dot right on the middle center line, your Katakana "U" will look neat and balanced!

Words With Katakana "U"

The ukulele is an instrument from another country, so we write its name in katakana.
Other words that start with Katakana "U" include usagi (rabbit), ushi (cow), ume (plum), wiener (sausage), and wool.
Animals like rabbits and cows, and plants like plum trees, are often written in katakana in picture books and picture dictionaries.
Words like wiener and wool come from other countries, too.
It is fun to play a word chain game using only words with Katakana "U"!

Parts of a Ukulele

A ukulele is made of 3 main parts.
The part shaped like a gourd that makes the sound ring out is called the body.
The long, thin part where you press the strings with your fingers is called the neck.
The very top part with the pegs on it is called the head.
The round hole on the body is called the sound hole. That is where the sounds ringing inside come out.
All of these parts are written in katakana, too!
Look at the coloring page and try pointing to the body and the neck with your finger.
Compared to a guitar, a ukulele is much smaller and has 2 fewer strings!

Color the Big Katakana "U" in Fun Colors

Color the big Katakana "U" in any color you like.
If you change colors for each stroke, like red for the 1st stroke, yellow for the 2nd stroke, and blue for the 3rd stroke, it will be easy to learn the stroke order.
It is also nice to use bright colors like orange or yellow-green to match the tropical island instrument!

Color the Ukulele Like Real Wood

If you color the body of the ukulele in light brown or orange-brown, it will look like it is made of wood.
Color inside the round hole in dark brown or black to make it look deep.
If you color the long, thin neck where the strings go a little darker brown than the body, the shape will stand out nicely.
You can trace the strings thinly in gray, or leave them white.
There are red and blue ukuleles too, so it is also fun to make it super colorful!

How to Trace the Letters

Trace the Katakana "U" in the boxes on the bottom right slowly with your pencil.
The tip for the 1st stroke is to make the dot short with a quick touch.
For the 3rd stroke, bend the line as if you are stopping for a moment at the corner, and then sweep down to the left.
When you finish writing all 8, check if the dots are all lined up!

Finally, Let's Read the Word

On the top right, next to the big Katakana "U", the word "Ukulele" is written top-to-bottom.
When you finish coloring, trace it with your finger and read "Ukulele" out loud.
When the picture, letter, and word connect, it becomes much easier to remember the letter.
It is great to keep your finished coloring page by sticking it on the wall or putting it in a folder.

Ukuleles are Instruments from Hawaii

The ukulele is an instrument that was born in Hawaii.
It all started with a small stringed instrument brought to Hawaii by people who moved from a Portuguese island long ago.
That instrument spread among the people of Hawaii and became the ukulele we have today.

The Name Means "Jumping Flea"

It is said that "ukulele" means "jumping flea" in the Hawaiian language.
One story says it got this name because fingers jump around quickly on the strings, looking just like bouncing fleas!

The Sounds of the 4 Strings

When you tune a standard ukulele, the 4 strings make the sounds So, Do, Mi, and La.
The neat thing about the ukulele is that the top string is not always the lowest sound!
It is small and light, so it is an easy instrument for children to hold and play.

Add Two Dots to Katakana "U" to Make "ヴ"

There is a character made by adding two dots to Katakana "U", which looks like "ヴ".
This character has been used to show the "v" sound from foreign words.
It is a special Katakana character that you almost never use in Hiragana.
For example, you might see the instrument written as "ヴァイオリン" (violin), but people usually write it as "バイオリン".