Plum Blossoms うめ
ume2 characters4 strokes
うめ (ume) is the Japanese plum tree, which blooms in white, pink or red around February, while the winter cold still lingers.
Free practice sheet
Print at 100%, actual size. Enter your email once and every free sheet downloads right away.
Meaning 意味
What うめ means
The Japanese word for Plum Blossoms, written in hiragana and read ume.
Ume is the Japanese plum tree. Around February, while it is still cold, it blooms in white, pink or red, and its fruit is used for umeboshi (pickled plums) and plum juice.
The word is written here in hiragana instead of the kanji 梅, giving it a soft, friendly feel.
When people write it in Japan. Because ume blooms in the cold, it is a lovely word for kakizome, the first calligraphy of the New Year, and for pieces about waiting for spring.
Written in kana, the Japanese syllables children learn first.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for うめ
Three things to watch
- In う, line up the top dot and the lower stroke vertically. Let the curve of the lower stroke swell out clearly to the right, giving a tall shape.
- In め, write the short stroke on the left from the top, slanting slightly to the lower right, so that it crosses the long stroke on the right.
- Swell the long stroke of め widely to the right, making it wider than う. Finish with a sweep down to the left.
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.
More free sheets
Nature & seasons
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.