Katakana "Ha" Coloring Pages

"Ha" as in "Handkerchief"

This coloring page is for learning Katakana "Ha".
The word is "Hankachi" (handkerchief). On the left, there is one folded handkerchief.
It has lace around the edge and a small flower pattern in the corner.
A handkerchief is a small square cloth you use to wipe your hands after washing them or when you sweat.

Words from other countries

"Hankachi" comes from the English word "handkerchief".
"Hand" means hand, and the word comes from a cloth you hold in your hand.
Words that come from other countries like this are often written in Katakana.
Katakana is also used for the names of animals and plants, and for sound words.

The character for Katakana "Ha" comes from "八"

Katakana "Ha" was made from the kanji 「八」.
The number "eight" and Katakana "Ha" look almost the same, don't they?
Hiragana "は" comes from a different kanji, "波".
Even though they make the same "ha" sound, hiragana and katakana come from different kanji. Isn't that neat?

How to Write Katakana "Ha"

Katakana "Ha" is written in 2 strokes.
The 1st stroke goes on the left side, sweeping down towards the bottom left.
The 2nd stroke goes on the right side, going down towards the bottom right, and stops at the end.
The key is to leave a small space between the 2 lines at the top without touching.
It looks super cool when it looks like it is spreading its legs to the left and right!

Let's find words that start with Katakana "Ha"

Words that start with "ハ" include scissors (hasami), hearts (haato), bees (hachi), hamsters (hamusutaa), and salisbury steaks (hanbaagu).
Words like heart and salisbury steak came from other countries.
Bees and hamsters are the names of living things, so they are often written in Katakana.

Let's compare Katakana "Ha", "八", and "人"

The kanji 「八」 and 「人」 look a lot like Katakana "Ha".
For 「人」, the two lines stick together at the top.
For Katakana "Ha" and 「八」, the two lines are apart.
Try writing them side by side to see the difference!
Also, remember that adding tenten to Katakana "Ha" makes 「バ」, and adding a circle makes 「パ」.
That is the "Ba" in "banana" and the "Pa" in "pan"!

For the big Katakana "Ha", use different colors for each side

Color the big Katakana "Ha" at the top right with your favorite colors.
If you change the color for the left line and the right line, like pink and light blue, you can easily see that it is a 2-stroke character.
Color slowly so you do not go outside the lines.

Use soft colors for the handkerchief

If you color the cloth part of the handkerchief with soft colors like light pink, light blue, or light yellow, it will look super cute.
If you leave the lace on the edge white, you can clearly see the difference between the cloth and the lace.
For the flower pattern in the corner, color the petals red or purple, the middle yellow, and the leaves green.

Add your own patterns

It is also fun to draw patterns on the handkerchief cloth, like polka dots, checks, or stripes.
If you add a little shade with light gray at the folds, it will look like the cloth is layered.
Look at a handkerchief you have at home and try making the same pattern, too!

Look between the two lines when you trace

In the boxes at the bottom right, 8 light gray Katakana "Ha" are lined up.
Trace each one carefully with a pencil.
If you draw 1 line on the left and 1 line on the right across the vertical center line of the box, it will look nice and balanced.
Stop firmly at the end of the second stroke.

Draw wrinkles to make it look like real cloth

If you add a few light lines near the folds of the handkerchief, it will look like soft cloth.
The trick is to tilt your colored pencil and color gently.

Wipe Your Hands with a Handkerchief

If you leave your hands wet after washing them, germs can get on them more easily.
Wipe your hands well with a handkerchief, even between your fingers.
You can also use it to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

Drop the Handkerchief

There is a game called Drop the Handkerchief where everyone sits in a circle, and the "it" player secretly drops a handkerchief behind someone.
If you notice it was dropped behind you, chase the "it" player right away!
It is a fun game everyone can play with just one handkerchief.

Handkerchiefs Made of Cloth

There are many kinds of handkerchiefs, like ones made of cotton cloth, towel fabric, or thin gauze.
Towel handkerchiefs soak up water well, so they are perfect for wiping your hands.
You can use a handkerchief in many ways, like wrapping things up or tying it around a hurt spot.

The Shape of a Handkerchief

Most handkerchiefs are shaped like a square.
Because they are square, you can fold them into many shapes, like folding them in half or into a triangle.
Fold it up and put it in your pocket, and it is easy and handy to take out whenever you need it.