裏
裏 — Back
back, amidst, in, reverse, inside, palm
On’yomiリ (ri)
Kun’yomiうら (ura)
Stroke order (13 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 裏
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 裏 | うら ura | opposite side; bottom; other side |
| 裏付け | うらづけ urazuke | support (e.g. for an argument); backing; proof |
| 裏金 | うらがね uragane | bribe; secret fund; slush fund |
| 裏側 | うらがわ uragawa | the reverse (side); back (side); other side |
| 裏腹 | うらはら urahara | opposite; reverse; contrary |
| 舞台裏 | ぶたいうら butaiura | offstage; backstage; behind the scenes |
Study notes
裏 is a JLPT N2 kanji written with 13 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 6), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #812 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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