Hiragana "Ryo" Coloring Pages

"Ryo" in "Ryori"

The character on this coloring page is the Hiragana "Ryo".
The word is "ryori". In Kanji, it is written as "料理", and it means cooking food.
In the picture on the left, someone is making a rolled omelet in a frying pan.
They flip it with a spatula, and warm steam rises from the top.
It looks like you can almost smell how delicious it is!
When you cook, always wash your hands clean before you start.

Two Characters for One Sound

You write Hiragana "Ryo" by combining two characters: "ri" and a small "yo".
Even though you write two characters, you do not say "ri" and "yo" separately. You say them together as one sound.
This kind of sound is called a youon (contracted sound).
If you write it with a big "yo" as "ri-yo", it becomes two sounds, and it can change the word into something else.
The sound changes depending on whether the character is small or not!

How Hiragana "Ryo" Was Made

Hiragana characters were created long ago when people started writing Kanji in a simplified, flowing way.
"Ri" came from a simplified shape of the Kanji "利".
The small "yo" is just a tiny version of a normal "yo", and "yo" came from a simplified shape of the Kanji "与".
Kanji from a long time ago changed over many years to become the soft, easy shapes we use today.

Tips for Writing

"Ri" takes 2 strokes to write.
The 1st stroke is the short line on the left. Go down, then make a small upward flick to the top right.
The 2nd stroke is the long line on the right. Go from top to bottom, and gently sweep to the bottom left at the end.
The small "yo" takes 2 strokes, just like a regular "yo". When writing horizontally, write it small in the bottom left of the box. When writing vertically, write it small in the top right.
Make the little loop at the bottom of "yo" nice and neat.

Words That Start with Hiragana "Ryo"

There are many words that start with Hiragana "Ryo".
For example, "ryokou" (trip), "ryoute" (both hands), "ryoushi" (fisherman), and "ryokan" (Japanese inn).
Try making a sentence with lots of Hiragana "Ryo", like "Ryoute wo agete, ryokou ni ikou" (Let's raise both hands and go on a trip)!
It is fun to play a game with your family to see who can make the longest sentence!

Color the big Hiragana "Ryo" in yummy colors

Try coloring inside the lines of the big Hiragana "Ryo" on the top right with your favorite colors.
If you use yellow or orange to match the rolled omelet, your letters will look super tasty.
If you use different colors for "り" and "ょ", it is easy to see that it is a team of two letters.

The rolled omelet and the frying pan

Color the rolled omelet yellow. Then color the edges and browned parts with light brown or orange.
If you add a line of a slightly darker yellow along the rolled layers, your omelet will look soft and fluffy.
Color the frying pan black or dark gray, and the handle brown to make it look real.
Try coloring the spatula silver or light gray.
You can leave the steam white, or gently trace it with light blue to show that it is hot and fresh.

Trace the letters with a pencil

There are 4 pairs of light gray Hiragana "Ryo" in the bottom right boxes.
Hold your pencil the right way. Gently trace over the gray lines without going outside the lines.
Use the vertical and horizontal center lines in the boxes as guideposts. They help you see how big to make the letters and where to put them.
Be careful to write the small "ょ" small in the bottom left of its box.
Say "ryo" out loud every time you trace 1 pair.
When you trace all 4 pairs, try writing it by yourself outside the boxes, too.

Square Frying Pan

Japanese rolled omelets are often made in a square frying pan.
It is called a "Tamagoyaki pan." You pour in a little egg at a time and roll it up as it cooks.
Since the pan is square, your rolled egg turns into a neat rectangle!

Sweet or Savory?

Tamagoyaki tastes different depending on the home or area.
Some people make sweet rolled omelets with sugar. Others make dashimaki tamagoyaki using soup stock.
What does the tamagoyaki taste like at your house?

Always Cook with an Adult

When you cook, you use fire and knives. Be sure to cook with a grown-up!
Cracking or mixing eggs are great ways you can help out.
Food you make yourself tastes even better than usual!

Why Eggs Become Solid

Raw egg whites are clear and runny.
But when you heat them up, the whites turn white and the yolks become solid.
Once an egg turns solid, it will not go back to being runny, even after it cools down.