Rainbow にじ
niji2 characters6 strokes
にじ (niji) means a rainbow, the band of seven colors that appears in the sky opposite the sun after the rain.
Free practice sheet
Print at 100%, actual size. Enter your email once and every free sheet downloads right away.
Meaning 意味
What にじ means
The Japanese word for rainbow, written in hiragana and read niji.
Niji is a rainbow, the band of light in seven colors that appears in the sky opposite the sun after rain. Finding one feels like a small gift from the sky.
The word is written here in hiragana instead of the kanji 虹, which keeps it simple and bright.
When people write it in Japan. Niji suits pieces about the sky after rain, summer memories, or a bright and hopeful mood.
Written in kana, the Japanese syllables children learn first.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for にじ
Three things to watch
- In に, bring the left stroke long and straight down, then flick up to the upper right at the bottom, as if leading into the right side.
- On the right side of に, write the top stroke short and flick it toward the lower left. Start the bottom stroke with a rounded entry from the left, then stretch it to the right.
- In じ, bring the long stroke down, curve it round, and sweep up to the upper right. Place the two voicing marks (dakuten) side by side at the upper right.
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.