HIRAGANA · MAIN KANA
ha
は · paired with ハ
Sound and use
As a topic particle, は is pronounced wa rather than ha.
See ハ, the katakana counterpart →
Kana represent sounds and spelling functions. They do not have lexical meanings of their own.
How the shape formed
The standard hiragana shape is conventionally traced to a cursive form of 波. Earlier manuscripts also used other shapes for the same sound.
History and change
Japanese writers used Chinese characters for their sounds. The source character 波 belonged to that wider practice; the kanji meaning was not inherited by は.
Hiragana and katakana developed as Japanese syllabaries in the early Heian period (794–1185). This is the script-level period, not a first attested date for は.
As a topic particle, は is pronounced wa rather than ha.
What is documented?
The sources above support the script’s broad period and the conventional parent-character account for は. A first surviving appearance of this exact modern shape has not been established for this entry.
For a look at earlier hiragana variants, use the NINJAL hentaigana index ↗.