How to Write り (Hiragana 'ri') — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 2-stroke writing sequence of the Hiragana (ひらがな) (Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary) character り (“Hiragana 'ri'”), indexed under the り (—) radical. Practice り alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as りんご (ringo — apple).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (り)
Primary Radical (部首): り — —
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Foundational Japanese Kana Syllabary (Hiragana (ひらがな)). As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ri", り represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (2画): With only 2 strokes, り is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the り (—) 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), り conveys the core meaning “Hiragana 'ri'” and is built around the り (—) radical across 2 strokes (foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes)). Reinforce り in memory by pairing its radical structure with real Jukugo vocabulary: りんご (ringo — apple).
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using り
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji り (FAQ)
How many strokes are in り and how is it structured?
The Japanese character り ("Hiragana 'ri'") 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 り (—) radical. With only 2 strokes, り is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the り (—) 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 り?
For り (Hiragana (ひらがな)), the Onyomi is — and the Kunyomi is ri. As a phonetic Hiragana (ひらがな) syllable pronounced "ri", り represents a fixed mora sound rather than splitting into Onyomi and Kunyomi readings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using り includes りんご (ringo — apple).
What is the stroke order rule for writing り on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 2 strokes of り (Hiragana 'ri'), start with the り (—) and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice り 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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