Russian Cursive Ж ж (Zhe): How to Write It
By Daily Cyrillic · Updated
Cursive ж is built from three parts: a mirrored c, a straight vertical stroke and a normal c, so it looks like )|( pressed together. It stays within the x-height. A voiced "zh" like the "s" in "pleasure"; at the end of a word it sounds like "sh".
Reading time: about 2 min.
- Sound
- /ʐ/, written zh
- Letter name
- жэ
- Often confused with
- х, к
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Sound
A voiced "zh" like the "s" in "pleasure"; at the end of a word it sounds like "sh".
How to write cursive ж, step by step
- Draw a small arc open to the left, like a backward c.
- Lift or loop back to the top center and pull a straight slanted stroke down to the baseline.
- From the middle of that stroke, draw an arc open to the right, like a normal c.
- Finish the right arc with a small upward hook toward the next letter.
The capital Ж
Capital Ж is the same three-part figure at full height, usually with small loops where the arcs touch the central stem.
How it connects to other letters
ж usually needs one pen lift inside the letter, after the left arc. The right arc then connects forward without a break.
Letters it is confused with
ж / х: х is two crossing arcs with no central stem. If you see a vertical line between the arcs, it is ж.
ж / к: к has a stem with arms only on the right; ж is symmetrical with arcs on both sides.
Example words in cursive
Read the cursive word first, then check the print form and meaning.
| Cursive | Transliteration | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| жена | жена | zhená | wife |
| нож | нож | nozh | knife |
| лыжи | лыжи | lýzhi | skis |
| журнал | журнал | zhurnál | magazine |
Common mistakes
- Drawing ж as an asterisk of straight lines, as in print, which does not join to neighbours.
- Making the two arcs different sizes, so the letter looks like к or х.
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