Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 1: 6/18

等(ら)We, Them, They, These, Those

Spoken casual, may be considered rude

Structure

Pronoun + ら

Details

  • Register

    Standard

About ～ら

There are many prefixes and suffixes in Japanese that are used depending on what the speaker wants to highlight. ら is a suffix (component used after the main part of a word) that implies that there is 'more than one' of something. Due to this, ら is often called a 'pluralizing suffix'. ら comes from the same kanji as 等(など), and the literal meaning is closer to '(A) etc'.

This 'etc' is where the implication of 'more than one' originates. To use ら, attach it to the end of any pronoun.

Caution

Because ら has a literal meaning that is close to '(A) etc', or '(A) and so on', it may sometimes be considered a bit rude (due to being dismissive). Because of this, it is recommended to not use this suffix in relation to people, unless it is absolutely essential to indicate plural. In most cases, 達(たち) will be a far better choice.

Examples

--:--

    彼(かれ)らは十分(じゅうぶん)に勉強(べんきょう)をしたから、試験(しけん)が簡単(かんたん)だった。

    They studied sufficiently, so the test was easy.

    これらを捨(す)ててください。

    Could you please toss these?

    それらの畳(たたみ)はいい匂(にお)いがしている。

    Those tatami mats smell good.

    君(きみ)ら池(いけ)に入(はい)るつもり？

    Do you all intend to go swimming in the pond?

    奴(やつ)らはプロだ。

    They are pros.

  • Get more example sentences!

    Premium users get access to 12 example sentences on all Grammar Points.

Self-Study Sentences

Study your own way!

Add sentences and study them alongside Bunpro sentences.

～ら – Grammar Discussion

Join the Discussion