Katakana "Yu" Coloring Pages

"Yu" as in "Unicorn"

The letter on this coloring page is the Katakana "Yu".
The word is "Unicorn".
On the left side, there is one cute unicorn drawn from head to tail.
A unicorn is a horse-like creature with one long horn growing from its forehead.
It is not a real animal, but an imaginary creature from old European stories and pictures.
In Japanese, it is also called "Ikkakujuu".
Words that come from other countries, like "Unicorn", are often written in Katakana.

Katakana "Yu" Came from "由"

Katakana are characters that people long ago made by taking part of a Kanji character.
It is said that Katakana "Yu" was born from a part of the Kanji character "由".
Katakana has very few lines, so people came up with it to write small reading notes next to difficult texts.
The Hiragana "ゆ" comes from the same Kanji character, "由", too. That means "ゆ" and Katakana "Yu" are like close relatives!

How to write Katakana "Yu"

You write Katakana "Yu" with 2 strokes.
For the 1st stroke, draw the top horizontal line to the right, and bend down at the corner.
The 2nd stroke is the long horizontal line at the bottom. The key is to draw it so it sticks out a little to the right past the vertical line of the 1st stroke.
It looks like the Katakana "Ko", but Katakana "Yu" is different because its bottom horizontal line is longer and sticks out to the right.
If you draw the top horizontal line short and the bottom horizontal line long, it will look just right for Katakana "Yu"!

Words starting with "Katakana "Yu""

Words that start with "Yu" include Unicorn, UFO, Snow Leopard, and Humor.
Names of animals and plants are also often written in Katakana, like the flower name Lily.
A small "ュ" combines with other letters to make one sound, like "Kyu" or "Shu".
Try taking turns saying words with Katakana "Yu" with someone in your family!

Compare with Katakana "Yu" and Hiragana "Yu"

Hiragana "Yu" is made of a nice, round looping line, isn't it?
Katakana "Yu" is made of straight lines and corners, so it has a boxy shape.
Katakana was originally made to write down Kanji readings quickly, so it has many short, straight lines.
Try writing "Yu" in Hiragana and Katakana "Yu" side by side, and talk with your family about how they are the same and how they are different.
Even though they make the same sound, Hiragana and Katakana look so different!

Color the big Katakana "Yu" in dream colors

To match the unicorn, try coloring the big Katakana "Yu" on the top right in pink, light blue, or light purple.
If you use different colors for the 1st stroke and 2nd stroke, you can learn the stroke order at the same time!
To keep from going outside the lines, color near the edges first, and then color the inside to make it look neat.

Unicorns are white and pastel colors

Leaving the unicorn's body white, or making it very light yellow or light pink, gives it a soft look.
Color the twisted horn gold or yellow, and add a little darker color along the twist lines to make it look shiny!
For the fluffy mane and tail, it is fun to change the color strand by strand using pink, light blue, and purple to make a rainbow.
Try coloring the hooves gray or gold.

Trace slowly, one by one

In the boxes on the bottom right, there are 8 light gray Katakana "Yu".
Hold your pencil correctly and trace slowly over the gray lines.
If you use the vertical and horizontal center lines inside the boxes as a guide, your letters will be the same size and in the right spot.
Do not forget that the horizontal line of the 2nd stroke sticks out a little to the right!
When you finish writing one, compare it with the model and check the length of the top and bottom horizontal lines.

Draw stars around it

If you draw little stars and hearts around the unicorn and color them yellow or pink, it will look like a dreamland picture!
It is also fun to give your very own unicorn a name.

"Uni" Means "One"

The English word "unicorn" comes from "uni," which means "one," and "corn," which means "horn."
So, the name unicorn actually means "a creature with one horn."
Even a unicycle, a vehicle you ride on just one wheel, uses "uni" in its name!

An Animal of Scotland

In Scotland, a country north of England, the unicorn is the national animal.
For a long time, pictures and statues of unicorns have decorated castles and coats of arms.
It is so cool and magical that a imaginary creature is a country's national animal!

The Secret of the Unicorn's Horn

Long ago in Europe, long, twisted horns were sold for a lot of money as "unicorn horns."
But most of them were actually the long tusks of narwhals, a type of whale that lives in cold northern seas!
A narwhal's tusk twists round and round, just like a unicorn's horn.

Unicorns Are Symbols of Dreams

People have drawn and written stories about unicorns for a very long time, showing them as strong and pure creatures.
Even today, they are super popular with kids on stationery, clothes, and toys.
Look around you and see if you can find any hidden unicorn patterns!