Exploring う: The Hiragana “u” and Its Flow Through Japanese Speech

The hiragana character う (pronounced “oo”, like in “food”) is the third vowel in the Japanese gojūon order (i.e. a, i, u, e, o) and a fundamental sound in the language. As with its vowel siblings, う is clear, consistent, and essential for forming words, conjugating verbs, and expressing tone in both written and spoken Japanese.

Though visually simple, う is packed with function. It often helps extend vowel sounds, changes the nuance of verbs, and even shows up in some of the first Japanese expressions you’ll learn — like うれしい (ureshii – happy) or うまい (umai – delicious/smooth). Understanding う is a key step in building fluency and rhythm in your Japanese.

1. Sound and Common Vocabulary

う is pronounced like the “oo” in “food” or “zoo,” but in Japanese, it’s much shorter and crisper. It always retains the same sound, no matter what word it appears in — no surprises, no silent letters, and no diphthongs.

Here are a few everyday words with う:

• うみ (umi) – sea
• うた (uta) – song
• うち (uchi) – home / house
• うし (ushi) – cow

One interesting feature of う is that it’s also used to lengthen the “o” and “u” vowel sounds. For example:

• すう (suu) – to inhale
• こうこう (kōkō) – high school (written as こうこう, but pronounced koo-koo)

When you see a う after an o or u sound, it’s usually not a separate syllable — it’s an elongation. This plays a huge role in pronunciation and meaning.

2. Stroke Order and Writing Tips

Writing う involves two strokes and looks like a simple, looping hook. Here’s how to write it correctly:

1. The first stroke is a short vertical line, sometimes slightly curved, going downward.
2. The second stroke starts above and to the left, makes a sweeping curve down and to the right, and finishes with a small loop at the bottom.

When done right, う has a flowing, rounded appearance that’s distinct yet graceful.

🖊 Tip: Try practicing う slowly, making sure the second stroke curves and closes cleanly. The loop at the end shouldn’t be too tight or too open. Consistency matters more than perfection!

3. The Origin of う: From Kanji to Kana

Like other hiragana, う evolved from a Chinese character through a script called man’yōgana. In this system, kanji were used phonetically, not for their meanings. The character 宇 (read as “u”) was used to represent the sound and eventually became the hiragana う.

Over centuries, 宇 was written in a cursive, flowing style, and this calligraphic evolution gave us the compact, simplified shape of う. You can still see echoes of the original kanji in the structure of the modern character.

Knowing the origin isn’t just trivia — it helps you appreciate the artistic and practical development of written Japanese.

4. Hiragana vs. Katakana: う and ウ

う has a katakana twin: ウ. While both are pronounced exactly the same, they are used in different contexts.

• う (hiragana): Used for native Japanese words, grammatical elements, and general writing.
• ウ (katakana): Used for foreign words, technical terms, and stylized text (like in menus or advertisements).

Compare:

• うた (uta) – song (hiragana)
• ウイルス (uirusu) – virus (katakana)

Being able to visually distinguish う and ウ is especially helpful when navigating between different types of text in Japanese media, signs, and subtitles.

5. Grammatical Role and Verb Usage

う is especially important in Japanese verb forms. In fact, many dictionary (plain) form verbs end in 〜う, which is how they get their name: う-verbs (or Group 1 verbs).

Examples include:

• かう (kau) – to buy
• あう (au) – to meet
• すう (suu) – to smoke / inhale

When conjugating these verbs, the う ending often changes, depending on tense or grammatical form. For example:

• あう → あいました – met (past polite form)
• かう → かいたい – want to buy

So learning う is not just about reading — it’s about mastering verb structures and forming natural sentences.

6. Practice Tips for Mastering う

Here are some ways to reinforce your understanding and use of う:

• Write it repeatedly on kana practice sheets, paying attention to the loop.
• Practice speaking common words like うみ, うち, and うた.
• Read and repeat short sentences out loud that include う-verbs like いきます (go) or かいます (buy).
• Listen to native speakers and try to notice how う is used in vowel elongation (especially in words like すう or こうえん).

The more you see and hear う in action, the easier it will be to recognize and use it naturally — in both grammar and conversation.

Conclusion: The Flow and Function of う

Small, elegant, and incredibly useful, う is a vital part of the Japanese language. It appears in key vocabulary, acts as a verb ending, and plays a special role in pronunciation by elongating sounds. With its simple two-stroke form and deep linguistic roots in the kanji 宇, う represents the smooth flow of Japanese speech and grammar.

By mastering う, you strengthen your understanding of verb forms, improve your pronunciation, and begin to hear Japanese more naturally. Keep practicing, and let う become a sound you recognize instinctively — it’s one you’ll hear and use every day on your language journey.