け

See also: げ, け゚, and ゖ

け U+3051, け HIRAGANA LETTER KE ← ぐ [U+3050] Hiragana げ → [U+3052]

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ke̞]

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 計けい in the cursive sōsho style.

Syllable

け • (ke) 

1. The hiragana syllable け (ke). Its equivalent in katakana is ケ (ke). It is the ninth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is か行くだりえ段だん (ka-gyō e-dan, “row ka, section e”).

Derived terms

• げ (ge)

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名ひらがな; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こ𛄲 (𛄲)ご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, らら゚, りり゚, るる゚, れれ゚, ろろ゚, わゎわ゙, ゐ𛅐 (𛅐)ゐ゙, 𛄟 (𛄟), ゑ𛅑 (𛅑)ゑ゙, を𛅒 (𛅒)を゙, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of け – see the following entry.

【毛もう】2 [noun] [from c. 759] hair, fur

(This term, け (ke), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as け, see Category:Japanese kanji read as け.)

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of け – see the following entries.

【気き】1 [noun] a sign [noun] This term needs a translation to English. [prefix] This term needs a translation to English. [suffix] This term needs a translation to English.

【家いえ】2 [suffix] representing relationship to a family

【卦け】H [noun] divination symbol or sign

(This term, け (ke), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as け, see Category:Japanese kanji read as け.)

(The following entries are uncreated: 化か, 仮かり, 華はな, 袈.)

Etymology 4

/kai/ → /keː/ → /ke/

From earlier けえ (kē), in turn a sound shift from かい (kai).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ke̞]

Particle

け • (ke) 

1. (informal, intimate, sometimes considered dialectal) (question particle)

Etymology 5

/koi/ → /keː/ → /ke/

Verb

け • (ke) 

1. (Kagoshima, dialect) come! (imperative form, equivalent to mainland 来き(こ)い (koi))
   • 1984 February 15, Motoka Murakami, “またいつか、勝かち(しょう)負まけ(ぶ)の日ひ(ひ)までの巻まき(まき) [One Day, We’ll Face off Again]”, in 六ろく(ム)三さん(サ)四よん(シ)の剣けん(けん) [Musashi’s Sword], volume 13 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 77:

     よかか…オイのなは日ひ(ひ)高こう(だか)剣けん(けん)介かい(すけ)…くやしかったら鹿児島かごしま(カゴッマ)セェけ(こい)‼いっでん(いつでも)勝かち(しょう)負まけ(ぶ)してやっで‼

     Yoka ka… Oi no na wa Hidaka Kensuke… Kuyashikattara Kagomma sē ke‼ Idden shōbu shite yadde‼

     Awrite… Mah name’s Hidaka Kensuke… Come to Kagoshima when yer ready‼ Ah’ll be waitin’ to settle witcha again‼