shi (し) Hiragana Stroke Order
The hiragana character し is pronounced as "shi" and is one of the fundamental characters in the Japanese writing system. Below you'll find both a stroke order diagram and an animated demonstration showing the proper sequence for writing し. Watch the animation carefully and practice tracing the character with your mouse or finger on the screen to master the correct stroke order and flow.
How to Pronounce し (shi)
Sounds like the 'shee' in 'sheep', but shorter. Note: this is 'shi', not 'si'.
Learn "し" Stroke Order - Step by Step
"し" Stroke Order Count：1
Stroke Order Tips for し
Draw a single long curving stroke from top-left, swooping down-right with a gentle curve.
"し" Stroke Order Worksheet
Download and print this stroke order practice worksheet as a PDF to perfect your character writing. The worksheet provides guided tracing space and blank grids for repeated practice.Below is a preview of the worksheet. The printed version will be larger – simply click the Print button to generate your PDF.
Hiragana "し" Stroke Order Online Practice
Common Words Using し
Characters Commonly Confused with し
し (shi) and つ (tsu) are both single curved strokes in hiragana, but し curves right while つ curves left.
Dakuten and Handakuten Variants of し
Frequently Asked Questions about し
How many strokes does し have?
Hiragana し has 1 stroke. Katakana シ has 3 strokes.
Why is it 'shi' and not 'si'?
Japanese has irregular pronunciation. The romaji is 'shi' because the consonant is pronounced like English 'sh'.