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Hiragana Letter Ra Letter

ら is the hiragana letter “ra”, used to write the /ra/ sound in Japanese.

U+3089

ら (HIRAGANA LETTER RA) is a small, lowercase-style Japanese character. It represents the /ra/ sound in hiragana writing. Use the codes below to copy it reliably in web and app text.

Hiragana Letter Ra Letter Meaning

ら is the hiragana character corresponding to the sound /ra/. In Japanese writing, it helps build words and grammatical forms that contain the “ra” syllable, often combined with following vowels (for example, り/る/れ/ろ in the same sound family). Like other hiragana, it is used for native word forms and grammatical elements, as opposed to katakana which is more common for loanwords and certain emphasis. When typing or programming, ensure you use the correct Unicode character (U+3089) so it renders correctly across platforms.

Common uses

  • Writing Japanese words that include the /ra/ syllable
  • Using hiragana for grammatical forms and endings that require ら
  • Entering text on Japanese IMEs where ら is selected via roman input (e.g., “ra”)
  • Displaying subtitles or short UI strings in hiragana
  • Using ら in names, labels, or annotations that are meant to stay in hiragana

Examples

ら (Hiragana letter ra)

  • なら
  • せら
  • から
  • さら
  • とら

Variations

Technical codes

UnicodeU+3089
HTML Entityら
HTML Codeら
CSS\3089

FAQ

What does the Hiragana Letter Ra letter mean?

ら is the hiragana character corresponding to the sound /ra/. In Japanese writing, it helps build words and grammatical forms that contain the “ra” syllable, often combined with following vowels (for example, り/る/れ/ろ in the same sound family). Like other hiragana, it is used for native word forms and grammatical elements, as opposed to katakana which is more common for loanwords and certain emphasis. When typing or programming, ensure you use the correct Unicode character (U+3089) so it renders correctly across platforms.

What Unicode character is ら?

ら is HIRAGANA LETTER RA with Unicode code point U+3089.

How can I copy ら into HTML?

Use the HTML entity ら or paste the character directly.

What CSS or JavaScript escape can I use for ら?

CSS escape: \\3089. JavaScript escape: \\u{3089}.

Is ら used for the same sound as “ra” in Japanese?

Yes. ら represents the /ra/ syllable sound in hiragana.