

Dove ハト
hato2 characters4 strokes
ハト (hato) means dove or pigeon, a bird often seen in parks and at shrines; a dove holding an olive branch is a symbol of peace.
Free practice sheet
Print at 100%, actual size. Enter your email once and every free sheet downloads right away.
Meaning 意味
What ハト means
The Japanese word for dove, written in katakana and read hato.
Hato is the dove or pigeon, a bird you often see in parks and at shrines in Japan. A dove carrying an olive branch in its beak is known as a symbol of peace.
The word is written here in katakana, the angular Japanese script often used for the names of animals and plants. Its straight lines make it simple to brush.
When people write it in Japan. Hato suits pieces that express a wish for peace, or that feature familiar animals and birds flying freely in the sky.
Written in kana, the Japanese syllables children learn first.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for ハト
Three things to watch
- In ハ, sweep the left stroke long from the top down to the left. Make the right stroke a little shorter, and stop it firmly as it points to the lower right.
- In ト, bring the vertical stroke straight down and long. Write the right stroke short, starting near the middle of the vertical and pointing to the lower right.
- Leave a gap between the two strokes of ハ at the top so they do not touch. Make ハ wider than ト.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame.
Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to practice 練習
Trace first, then copy
- PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
- TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
- CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.
Free for personal practice and classroom use. Please do not sell or re-post the files. Share a link to this page instead.


While the sets are on their way
The book is out now.
Japanese Calligraphy for Beginners takes you from holding the brush to writing whole words, step by step, in English. Every model inside was brushed by our teachers.
Starter Set, $72.99 with the book, brush, ink and paper: coming soon.
