Readings: ラク (RAKU) (Onyomi), おちる (ochiru), おとす (otosu) (Kunyomi)
Meaning: to fall, to drop, to omit, to fail
The kanji 落 combines 艹 (grass) on top, and 洛 (raku), which phonetically represents ‘falling’ or ‘dropping’, often associated with water flowing down. The grass radical might imply things falling from plants or nature, giving the overall meaning of ‘to fall’ or ‘to drop’.
View JLPT N3 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 落 has 12 strokes. Pay attention to the order, starting with the grass radical (艹) at the top, then the inner components, and finishing with the sweeps.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 艹 (くさかんむり) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N3 |
| Grade | 小学校三年生 (Grade 3 Elementary School) |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- ラク (RAKU)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- おちる (ochiru)
- おとす (otosu)
Common Words Using 落
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 落下 | らっか | falling; dropping; descent |
| 転落 | てんらく | fall; tumble; downfall |
| 落選 | らくせん | election defeat; failure to be selected |
| 陥落 | かんらく | fall; surrender (of a fortress); collapse |
| 零落 | れいらく | decline; fall (from prosperity); destitution |
| 落第 | らくだい | failing a course; failing an exam |
| 堕落 | だらく | corruption; decadence; depravity |
| 落語 | らくご | rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling) |
| 登落 | とうらく | success or failure; passing or failing (an exam) |
| 落着 | らくちゃく | settlement; conclusion; resolution |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 落ちる | おちる | to fall; to drop; to come down (intransitive) |
| 落とす | おとす | to drop (transitive); to lose; to lower |
| 落ち着く | おちつく | to calm down; to settle down; to feel at home |
| 落ち込む | おちこむ | to feel down; to be depressed; to sink (into) |
| 落とし物 | おとしもの | lost article |
| 落書き | らくがき | graffiti; scribble |
| 落ち葉 | おちば | fallen leaves |
| 落ち度 | おちど | fault; error; blunder |
| 取り落とす | とりおとす | to drop (something one is holding) |
| 落とし穴 | おとしあな | pitfall; trap |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 財布を電車の中に落としてしまいました。
Kana: さいふをでんしゃのなかにおとしてしまいました。
Romaji: Saifu wo densha no naka ni otoshite shimaimashita.
English: I accidentally dropped my wallet in the train.
Japanese: 木の葉が地面に落ちる。
Kana: きのはがじめんにおちる。
Romaji: Ki no ha ga jimen ni ochiru.
English: The leaves of the tree fall to the ground.
Japanese: 試験に落ちたけど、来年また頑張る。
Kana: しけんにおちたけど、らいねんまたがんばる。
Romaji: Shiken ni ochita kedo, rainen mata ganbaru.
English: I failed the exam, but I’ll try my best again next year.
Japanese: 落ち着いて考えてみましょう。
Kana: おちついてかんがえてみましょう。
Romaji: Ochitsuite kangaete mimashou.
English: Let’s try to think calmly.
Japanese: 彼女は最近、少し落ち込んでいるようだ。
Kana: かのじょはさいきん、すこしおちこんでいるようだ。
Romaji: Kanojo wa saikin, sukoshi ochikonde iru you da.
English: She seems a little down lately.
Japanese: このペンはよく落とすので注意が必要です。
Kana: このペンはよくおとすのでちゅういが必要です。
Romaji: Kono pen wa yoku otosu node chuui ga hitsuyou desu.
English: I often drop this pen, so I need to be careful.
Japanese: 公園で落とし物を見つけました。
Kana: こうえんでおとしものをみつけました。
Romaji: Kouen de otoshimono wo mitsukemashita.
English: I found a lost item in the park.
Japanese: ビルから物が落下する事故があった。
Kana: ビルからものがらっかするじこがあった。
Romaji: Biru kara mono ga rakka suru jiko ga atta.
English: There was an accident where something fell from the building.
Japanese: 試合に敗れてチームはがっかりと肩を落とした。
Kana: しあいにやぶれてチームはがっかりとかたをおとした。
Romaji: Shiai ni yaburete chiimu wa gakkari to kata wo otoshita.
English: The team lost the game and dropped their shoulders in disappointment.
Japanese: その話は落語の演目の一つです。
Kana: そのはなしはらくごのえんもくのひとつのひとつです。
Romaji: Sono hanashi wa rakugo no enmoku no hitotsu desu.
English: That story is one of the rakugo performances.
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