Katakana "Pyo" Coloring Pages

"Pyo" as in "Pyon-pyon"

This coloring page is for practicing Katakana "Pyo".
The word is "Pyon-pyon". It is a word that shows how something light hops and bounces over and over.
On the left, a kangaroo is drawn facing sideways, hopping pyon-pyon.
A baby kangaroo is popping its head out from the pouch on its tummy.
It looks like the parent and child are jumping together.

Two Characters, One Sound

Katakana "Pyo" uses 2 letters, "ピ" and a small "ョ", to make 1 single sound.
Letters like this that add a small "ャ", "ュ", or "ョ" to make 1 sound are called 拗音.
When you say it out loud, try not to split "ピ" and "ヨ". Say them together all at once! "ピョンピョン" repeats "ピョン" 2 times to show a bouncy feeling.

How Katakana "Pyo" Came to Be

Katakana are characters that people long ago made by taking a part of a Kanji or making its shape simpler.
"ピ" is the character "ヒ" with a little circle. This circle is also called a handakuten.
The original "ヒ" came from the right side of the Kanji "比".
The small "ョ" is just a smaller version of "ヨ". "ヨ" was made from a part of the Kanji "与".
While Hiragana came from cursive Kanji, Katakana came from parts of Kanji, so they have many straight lines.

How to Write Katakana "Pyo"

Katakana "Pyo" has 3 strokes in total. You take the 2 strokes of "ヒ" and add 1 stroke for the small circle.
The 1st stroke of "ヒ" is a short horizontal line.
For the 2nd stroke, draw from top to bottom, and then curve to the right.
Finally, draw a tiny circle at the top right. Make sure you do not confuse it with two small dots.

Small "ョ" has 3 strokes! For stroke 1, draw a line that goes right and folds down. For stroke 2, draw the middle line across. For stroke 3, draw the bottom line across.
It looks neat if you keep the same space between the 3 side-to-side lines!
You write small letters about one-fourth the size of a square box. In horizontal writing, put it near the bottom left of the box. In vertical writing, put it near the top right.
If you write "ョ" big, people will read it as two sounds, "Piyo", so be careful!

Words with Katakana "Pyo"

Besides words that come from other countries, Katakana is often used to write words that show sounds or actions.
Besides "Pyonpyon," words that start with Katakana "Pyo" include Pyokon for a small hop, and Pyokopyoko for popping your head up and down.
In Hiragana, "pyo" also goes in the middle of words, like in happyou, which means talking in front of everyone.
Let's think of other animals that hop around Pyonpyon, like rabbits and frogs!

Color the Big Katakana "Pyo" in Your Favorite Colors

Try coloring the big Katakana "Pyo" inside the outline on the top right with any color you like.
Use bright and happy colors like yellow-green, pink, or light blue to show a bouncy feeling.
To keep it neat, color slowly around the inside edge first. Then, fill in the middle!

Color the Kangaroo in Reddish-Brown or Gray

Try coloring the kangaroo's body in reddish-brown, light brown, or grayish-brown.
If you use cream or light beige for the tummy, it will look just like a real kangaroo!
If you color the baby in the pouch a little lighter than the parent, it will look super cute and stand out.

Make It Look Like It Is Hopping

Try adding short lines or dust at the kangaroo's feet to show that it is jumping off the ground.
If you color the ground in reddish-brown dirt colors or yellow-ochre, it will look just like the land in Australia.
Color the sky light blue to make a bright scene!

Trace Each Pair Carefully

In the boxes at the bottom right, there are light gray Katakana "Pyo" characters, lined up in four pairs of two.
Use a dark or soft pencil to trace slowly over the light letters.
Use the center lines inside the boxes to help you see the difference in size between big and small letters.
Saying the stroke order out loud as you write helps you remember it better.
Try writing with a fun, bouncy rhythm, but stay neat!

Kangaroos Are Animals from Australia

Kangaroos are animals that live in places like Australia.
They move around fast by hopping along on their strong back legs.
Their long, thick tail helps them keep their balance when they hop and supports them when they stand.

Newborn Babies Are Super Small

When a kangaroo baby is born, it is only about 2 centimeters long.
Right after it is born, it climbs all the way up into its mother's pouch all by itself.
Then, it drinks milk and grows big inside the pouch over many months.

The Name for a Baby Kangaroo

A baby kangaroo is called a joey in English.
Even after they get bigger, they will dive back into the pouch if something scares them.
Their mom's pouch is a safe home for them.

Let's Write It in Romaji

When you write Katakana "Pyo" in Romaji, it becomes pyo.
For sounds with small "ya", "yu", or "yo", you put in a y when writing in Romaji.
You will learn Romaji in Japanese class around 3rd grade.
You can also see it on station names and road signs, so try reading it if you find it!