How to Write ら (Hiragana 'ra') — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 2-stroke writing sequence of the Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) character ら (“Hiragana 'ra'”), indexed under the ら (—) radical. Practice ら alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as らいしゅう (raishuu — next week).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (ら)
Primary Radical (部首): ら — —
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary (Hiragana (ひらがな)). As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ra", ら represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (2画): With only 2 strokes, ら is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the ら (—) structure cleanly around the center intersection and finish terminal strokes with crisp tome (stop) or harai (sweep) release.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
In Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary), ら conveys the core meaning “Hiragana 'ra'” and is built around the ら (—) radical across 2 strokes (foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes)). Reinforce ら in memory by pairing its radical structure with real Jukugo vocabulary: らいしゅう (raishuu — next week).
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using ら
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji ら (FAQ)
How many strokes are in ら and how is it structured?
The Japanese character ら ("Hiragana 'ra'") is written with 2 strokes (2画) as a Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes) indexed under the ら (—) radical. With only 2 strokes, ら is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the ら (—) structure cleanly around the center intersection and finish terminal strokes with crisp tome (stop) or harai (sweep) release.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for ら?
For ら (Hiragana (ひらがな)), the Onyomi is — and the Kunyomi is ra. As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ra", ら represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using ら includes らいしゅう (raishuu — next week).
What is the stroke order rule for writing ら on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 2 strokes of ら (Hiragana 'ra'), start with the ら (—) and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice ら interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
More Hiragana (ひらがな) Characters to Practice Next
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