劉 meaning and stroke order
To kill, to destroy; surname
How to write 劉, stroke by stroke
15 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
Meaning of 劉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (classical) a type of battle-ax
- to kill
- to slaughter
How 劉 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Knife.
刂 gives the meaning and 卯 hints at the sound.
Radical: 刂 (knife), shared by 71 characters on this site.
How to remember 劉
On the left, 卯 sits above 金 (jīn, metal), and on the right stands the knife radical 刂. Picture a metal blade with a knife beside it, a battle-ax made for killing, while 卯 hints at the sound liú.
Today 劉 is used almost only as a surname, one of the most common in China. The old meanings of battle-ax and killing appear only in classical texts. Example: 我姓劉。 (Wǒ xìng Liú.) My surname is Liu.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top left part as 夘 or mix it up with 留 (liú, to stay), which has the same sound but a 田 at the bottom and no knife. 劉 is a surname. 留 is a verb, so keep them apart.
Common words with 劉
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 劉海 | liúhǎi | bangs; fringe (hair) |
Characters that contain 劉
Learning 劉 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 劉
How many strokes are in 劉?
劉 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 劉 mean?
劉 (liú) means to kill, to destroy; surname. A common word with it is 刘海 (liúhǎi), meaning "bangs; fringe (hair)".
How do you pronounce 劉?
劉 is pronounced liú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 劉?
The radical of 劉 is 刂, which carries the idea of "knife". Dictionaries list 劉 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 劉?
劉 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 刘, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 劉海 (liúhǎi) mean bangs?
The word comes from a folk figure, 劉海, who was usually drawn with hair cut straight across his forehead. People then used his name for that hairstyle.
Is 劉 the same character as 刘?
Yes. 刘 is the simplified form used in mainland China, and 劉 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Both are read liú and mean the same thing.