つ (tsu), hiragana basic
つ
tsu
た row · u column
hiraganabasic1 stroke
Stroke order
Pronunciation
Start with t and release straight into s, then add the Japanese u. The ts belongs at the start of one syllable; do not add a vowel between t and s.
katakana counterpart
Variants
Words with つ
机つくえdesk
着くつくarrive
次つぎnext; next time
How to remember it
つA single curve looks like a wave rolling to the right. Say tsu in one beat, keeping the t at the beginning.
Where it comes from
川つ
つ is traditionally traced to a cursive form of 川. Its shape represents a sound, not a picture of a wave.