Katakana ン (n)
ン is the katakana character for "n", pronounced a nasal n that can sound like m or ng depending on the next sound. It takes 2 strokes. Katakana is the angular Japanese script used for foreign loanwords, names, animal and plant names, sound effects and emphasis. The shape on this page follows the stroke order taught in Japanese schools: strokes run from top to bottom and left to right.
Its hiragana counterpart is ん. Learning both gives you the same 46 sounds written two ways.
Stroke by stroke
- Start around the middle at the left side. Draw a straight line down and to the right, ending around the middle at the left side.
- Lift your pen and start again near the bottom at the left side. Draw a straight line up and to the right, ending around the middle at the right side.
Look-alikes and pitfalls
Stroke direction matters more than stroke count in kana. Follow the numbered start dots and the arrows, and keep the pen moving the way the animation shows; the end of a stroke is often a quick flick or a stop, and the difference is what separates look-alike characters.
n (ン) begins with a flat tick and a rising sweep; so (ソ) begins with a steeper tick and a long falling stroke.
In a word
ワイン (wain), wine
Practice
Trace on screen first: press Trace it above and follow the grey letter. Then print the sheet and write the same letter on paper. Writing on paper is what builds the habit.
More about ン
ン is character 46 of 46 in the standard gojuon table, in the final N.
Katakana was developed from parts of kanji, mostly by Buddhist monks as a shorthand for reading notes, which is why the shapes are angular and made of short straight strokes.
ン is the only kana that is not a vowel or a consonant plus vowel. It can end a word or a syllable.
Dakuten (two small ticks) and handakuten (a small circle) can be added to many kana to change the sound, for example か becomes が and は becomes ぱ. Those are written as the base character plus the marks.
Questions about katakana ン
How many strokes is katakana ン?
2 strokes.
How do you say ン?
ン is "n", pronounced a nasal n that can sound like m or ng depending on the next sound.
Where do I start ン?
Start around the middle at the left side. Draw a straight line down and to the right, ending around the middle at the left side.
What is the hiragana version of ン?
ん. It is read the same way; only the script changes.
When do I use katakana?
Use katakana for foreign loanwords such as ホテル (hotel) and コーヒー (coffee), for names of foreigners, and for emphasis.
Stroke data derived from KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0.