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)
- らなら
- らせら
- らから
- らさら
- らとら
Variations
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+3089 | |
| HTML Entity | ら | |
| HTML Code | ら | |
| CSS | \3089 | |
| Alt Code | Alt + 12425 | |
| Decimal | 12425 |
How to type Hiragana Letter Ra Letter (ら)
On Windows
Hold Alt and type 12425 on the numeric keypad. In Word, type 3089 then press Alt + X.
On Mac
Switch to the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, then hold Option and type 3089. Or press Control + Command + Space and search.
On Linux
Press Control + Shift + U, type 3089, then press Enter or Space.
Anywhere
Copy ら with the button above and paste it wherever you need it — this works on every device and in every app, with no keyboard shortcut to remember.
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.