small ke

{{Short description|Small form of the Japanese character ke}}

{{for|the kana|ケ}}

{{More citations needed|date=February 2024}}

The small ke ({{nihongo2|ヶ}}) is a Japanese character, typographically a small form of the katakana character {{nihongo2|ケ}} ke.{{Cite web |last=Anime |first=Japanese with |date=2018-08-19 |title=ヶ - Small Ke ケ |url=https://www.japanesewithanime.com/2018/08/small-ke.html |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=Japanese with Anime |language=en-us}}

While identical in shape to a small {{nihongo2|ケ}}, {{nihongo2|ヶ}} is actually an abbreviation for the kanji {{nihongo2|箇}}, specifically by writing half of the bamboo radical {{nihongo2|竹}} ({{nihongo2|⺮}}). {{nihongo2|箇}}, alternatively written as {{nihongo2|個}} (or {{nihongo2|个}}), is a common Japanese counter word. {{nihongo2|ヶ}} is also as an abbreviation for the Japanese conjunctive particle {{nihongo2|が}}.

It is unrelated to the katakana character {{nihongo2|ケ}} (which is an abbreviation for {{nihongo2|介}}) but {{nihongo2|ヶ}} is sometimes written as a large character {{nihongo2|ケ}}.

Although it resembles the katakana character ke ({{nihongo2|ケ}}), it is pronounced ka (sometimes ko) when it specifies a counter (or ga when it specifies a conjunction), but not ke.

When used as a counter, the katakana {{nihongo2|カ}} or {{nihongo2|ヵ}} are sometimes used instead. When used as a counter but pronounced ko, the katakana {{nihongo2|コ}} is sometimes used instead (chiefly in informal writing).

However, {{nihongo2|ヶ}} is not used as a general abbreviation for {{nihongo2|箇}} or {{nihongo2|個}}. For example, {{nihongo2|個人}} kojin, "individual" will not be written as {{nihongo2|^×ヶ人}} (except possibly as very informal ryakuji; contrast with {{nihongo2|〆}}, as an abbreviation for {{nihongo2|締}}). Note that {{nihongo2|個}} is used in various words, but {{nihongo2|箇}} is generally only used as a counter, or as a variant of {{nihongo2|個}}.

The most familiar example as a counter is for counting months, as in {{nihongo2|1ヶ月}} (ik-ka-getsu, one month [duration]) where it is pronounced ka. Other common examples are places {{nihongo2|〜ヶ所}}　(~-ka-sho) and countries {{nihongo2|〜ヶ国}} (~-ka-koku).

An example where it is pronounced as ko is when counting small objects, such as pieces of fruit or candy, where one may write {{nihongo2|一ヶ}} (ik-ko), rather than the more formal {{nihongo2|一個}}; this is particularly common in hand-written signs at shops, though {{nihongo2|一コ}} is also common.

When used as the conjunction {{nihongo2|〜が〜}} (~-ga-~), it has the same meaning as {{nihongo2|〜の〜}} (~-no-~) which is more common in modern Japanese and is commonly used in place names, though rare in everyday words.

One relatively common word using {{nihongo2|ヶ}} is {{nihongo2|雁ヶ音}} karigane (kari-ga-ne – goose-'s-sound, the cry of the wild goose).

In place names, it is generally a conjunction, and hence pronounced ga, particularly as {{nihongo2|「～ヶ原」}} (-ga-hara) "field of ...", as in {{nihongo2|青木ヶ原}} (Aokigahara, field of blue trees). It may also be a counter, where it will generally be pronounced ka, as in {{nihongo2|三ヶ日}} (Mikkabi, place name, "three days").

In some cases both {{nihongo2|ヶ}} and {{nihongo2|が}} (and even {{nihongo2|ケ}}) are used to write a place name, depending on the specific place with a given name or usage. This may have also changed over time, so older documents may use a different form, and older institutions may use an outdated spelling. The most conspicuous example is Jiyūgaoka, which refers to a number of places throughout Japan (see {{nihongo2|自由ヶ丘}}), some of which officially use {{nihongo2|自由が丘}}, {{nihongo2|自由ヶ丘}}, or {{nihongo2|自由ケ丘}}. The best-known of these is a popular neighborhood in Tokyo, whose official form is {{nihongo2|自由が丘}}, but it was formerly {{nihongo2|自由ヶ丘}}, changing in 1965 (the station changed in 1966), and some businesses use the older form.

The hiragana version of the character exists as {{nihongo2|ゖ}}, but it is virtually unused.