Hiragana "Ro" Coloring Pages

"Ro" as in "Rousoku"

The letter on this coloring page is the Hiragana "Ro".
The word is "rousoku" (candle). The picture on the left of the first sheet shows one candle on a candle holder.
A small flame flickers at the top, and a little melted wax is dripping down.
Candlelight is super helpful for birthday cakes or when the lights go out!

Hiragana "Ro" Came from the Kanji "呂"

The Hiragana "Ro" took its current shape long ago when people started writing the kanji character "呂" in a cursive, flowing way.
Katakana "ロ" was also born from the same "呂" character.
The top box of "呂" became Katakana "ロ", and smoothing out the whole character turned it into Hiragana "Ro".

Tips for Writing

You can write Hiragana "Ro" in just 1 stroke without lifting your pencil.
First, draw a short horizontal line at the top, then go down diagonally to the bottom left.
From there, make a big curve to the right, and finish with a nice smooth curve pointing down to the left.
It looks a lot like "る", but Hiragana "Ro" does not have a small loop at the end.
Try writing Hiragana "Ro" and "る" side by side to see the difference!

The Second Sheet is Full of Words Starting with Hiragana "Ro"

On the second coloring page, pictures of words starting with Hiragana "Ro" are lined up around a big Hiragana "Ro" in the middle.
You will find a long-eared roba (donkey), a roketto (rocket) blasting off into space, rooraasukeeto (roller skates) with wheels, and the number roku (six).
There is also a roopuwei (ropeway) going up the mountain, and even a robotto (robot)!

Not Many Words Start with Hiragana "Ro"

There are not many traditional Japanese words that start with Hiragana "Ro".
Many of the words on the second sheet came from other countries, like roketto and robotto.
Instead, there are lots of words that end with Hiragana "Ro", like "iro" (color), "fukuro" (bag), and "doro" (mud).
Try finding words that end with Hiragana "Ro" with your family!

How to Enjoy the Two Coloring Pages

On the first sheet, you can color the candle and the big Hiragana "Ro", and practice writing Hiragana "Ro" by tracing it.
On the second sheet, you can color at your own pace while discovering all kinds of words with Hiragana "Ro".
The number "6" also appears as a picture for "roku". Coloring numbers is super fun too!

Color the big Hiragana "Ro" with your favorite colors

Try coloring inside the lines of the big Hiragana "Ro" in the top right with any color you like.
Since it is written with just 1 stroke, you can change the colors as you go! Start with yellow, switch to orange in the middle, and finish with red to make your Hiragana "Ro" look like a flame.
The trick is to color along the direction you write the letter.

Change the flame from yellow to orange

For the candle flame, make the middle white or light yellow. Then make it darker with yellow and orange as you move outward.
If you softly surround the flame with light yellow, it will look like a glowing light.
Color the candle white, cream, or light pink. Use the same color a little darker for the melted wax.
To make the candlestick look gold, try layering yellow and yellow-ocher.

Use different colors for the vehicles and animals on the 2nd page

For the rocket on the second page, color it white and red. Make the blasting flames orange and yellow to look cool!
Color the donkey gray or light brown. Make its nose and tummy whitish to look like a real donkey.
Pick 2 of your favorite colors for the roller skates. Use one color for the shoes and the other for the wheels.

Trace each letter carefully, one by one

In the bottom right boxes, there are 8 light gray Hiragana "Ro"s lined up.
Hold your pencil the right way. Trace slowly over the gray lines so you do not go outside them.
Use the cross lines in the middle of each box to help you balance your letter.
At the very end, do not make a loop. Just curve it gently and stop.
Every time you finish writing one, compare it with the big example Hiragana "Ro".

Japanese candles come from plants

Traditional Japanese candles have been around for a long time. They are made from wax taken from the fruit of the sumac tree.
The wick in the middle is made from plants like Japanese paper and grass, too.
Most of the white candles used today are made from wax that comes from petroleum.

The hottest part of the flame

The outer part of a candle's flame is actually hotter than the bright middle part.
That is because the outside touches lots of air, so it burns really well.
Flames are super hot, so please do not touch them or get too close.

How a candle burns

When you light a candle, the wax around the wick melts into a liquid.
That liquid travels up the wick, turns into a gas from the heat, and burns.
Whenever you use fire, always be sure to be with an adult.

Donkeys are very strong

The donkey on the second page is a relative of the horse.
It is smaller than a horse, but it is very strong and can carry heavy loads.
Its long ears are a donkey's best feature.