啦 meaning and stroke order
Sentence-final particle, contraction of 了啊, indicating exclamation; particle placed after each item in a list of examples
How to write 啦, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 啦
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sentence-final particle, contraction of 了啊, indicating exclamation
- particle placed after each item in a list of examples
- (onom.) sound of singing, cheering etc
- (phonetic)
- (dialect) to chat
How 啦 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 拉 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 啦
啦 is a mouth 口 next to 拉 (lā, to pull), which gives the sound. Picture your mouth pulling out a long, happy "la" at the end of a sentence.
In everyday speech 啦 (la) is a neutral-tone particle that blends 了 (le) and 啊 (a). It makes a statement sound lively, friendly, or a bit emphatic. Example: 我到家啦。(Wǒ dào jiā la.) I'm home.
Common mistake: Learners often use 啦 where a plain 了 is needed in neutral or formal writing, which makes the tone sound too casual. Also avoid mixing up 啦 with 拉 (lā, to pull). The particle needs the 口 mouth radical.
Common words with 啦
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 啦啦队 | lālāduì | cheerleading squad | HSK 7-9 |
| 啦啦队长 | lālāduìzhǎng | cheerleader |
啦 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 啦
How many strokes are in 啦?
啦 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 啦 mean?
啦 (la) means sentence-final particle, contraction of 了啊, indicating exclamation; particle placed after each item in a list of examples. A common word with it is 啦啦队 (lālāduì), meaning "cheerleading squad".
How do you pronounce 啦?
啦 is pronounced la, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 啦?
The radical of 啦 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 啦 under this radical.
Is 啦 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 啦 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 啦 and 了 at the end of a sentence?
了 (le) simply marks a change or completion. 啦 (la) does the same job but adds feeling, like excitement, reassurance, or mild impatience. 好了 is neutral, while 好啦 sounds warmer or more pleading.
How is 啦 used in a list?
You can put 啦 after each item when listing examples in casual speech. For example, 苹果啦，香蕉啦，都很便宜 (píngguǒ la, xiāngjiāo la, dōu hěn piányi) means apples, bananas, they are all cheap.