ら (ra), hiragana basic
ら
ra
ら row · a column
hiraganabasic2 strokes
Stroke order
Pronunciation
Tap the tip of your tongue once against the ridge just behind your upper teeth, then say a. Use a quick tap, not a held English r.
katakana counterpart
Words with ら
来年らいねんnext year
来週らいしゅうnext week
来月らいげつnext month
How to remember it
らA small mark sits above a curving lower stroke. Imagine a runner whose cap has flown off: ra. Use a quick tongue tap, not an English r.
Where it comes from
良ら
ら developed from the cursive writing of 良. Its shape was simplified into the two strokes used today.