ryu / りゅ
The middle RY combined kana — り plus a small ゅ becomes 'ryu'. Anchors study abroad, trends, and the dragon (竜) — one of the iconic Japanese motifs.
Pronunciation
The compound character りゅ represents the syllable 'ryu', formed by combining り (ri) with a small ゅ. It is pronounced as a single syllable 'ryu'. Common in names — for example, the name 'Ryu' (りゅう) means 'dragon' in Japanese.
りゅ is り (ri) plus a small ゅ (yu). Together they make a single syllable /ryu/. It anchors 留学 (ryuugaku, "study abroad"), 流行 (ryuukou, "trend / fashion / vogue"), 流れ (nagare, "flow" — preview), and most famously 竜 / 龍 (ryuu, "dragon") — one of the most iconic motifs in Japanese mythology, art, and naming. Many Japanese personal names use the kanji 竜 or 龍 (Tatsuya, Ryuu, Ryuusuke). Apply the soft R-row tap and slide directly into /yu/.
How to write りゅ
Trace りゅ on the canvas at the top of the page. Animated arrows show each stroke's direction; trace along them and the stroke fills in. Each numbered step below explains what that stroke does.
Write り exactly: two parallel curving strokes.
Write a small ゅ next to り. Stroke 3 is the small looping body (a tiny tear-drop); stroke 4 is the horizontal anchor crossing through it. Keep ゅ at roughly half the height of り.
Origin
りゅ is the written combination of り (from 利, ri) and a small ゆ (from 由, yu). The /ryu/ sound is one of the most evocative in Japanese — anchoring everything from study abroad to dragons — and rolls off the tongue with a single soft tap.
Common words starting with りゅ
Printable practice sheet
Print this worksheet to practice writing りゅ by hand — the top row shows the stroke order to trace, then fill the blank squares.
Lock it into memory
Reading is only half of it. Drill the hiragana you’ve learned with spaced-repetition flashcards — the fastest way to make them stick.