录 meaning and stroke order

lù

Diary; record; to hit

Strokes8
Pinyinlù
ToneTone 4
Frequency#762

How to write 录, stroke by stroke

8 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. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8

Meaning of 录

Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.

lùfourth tone (falling)
  1. to carve wood
  2. diary
  3. record
  4. to hit
  5. to copy

How 录 is built

Pictographic character. A brush used to record stories.

Radical: 彐 (snout), shared by 9 characters on this site.

How to remember 录

The etymology hint pictures 录 as a brush used to record stories. Think of 彐 on top as a hand gripping the brush and 氺 below as drops of ink dripping as you write things down.

录 (lù) rarely stands alone. It appears in words about recording: 记录 (jìlù) for written records, 录音 (lùyīn) for audio, 录像 (lùxiàng) for video, and 登录 (dēnglù) for logging in. Example: 请帮我录一下这段话。(Qǐng bāng wǒ lù yíxià zhè duàn huà.) Please help me record this passage.

Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 水 (shuǐ). In 录 it is 氺, whose left side breaks into separate dots and strokes. Another trap is mixing up 记录 and 纪录. In mainland usage 纪录 is preferred for a record set in sports, as in 世界纪录 (shìjiè jìlù).

Common words with 录

Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.

WordPinyinMeaningLevel
记录jìlùto record; record (esp. a written account)HSK 3
录音lùyīnto record sound; an audio recording (CL:段[duan4])HSK 3
纪录jìlùvariant of 記錄|记录[ji4 lu4]; (Note: In mainland China, 纪录 is preferred for the sense "recordHSK 3
录取lùqǔto accept an applicant (prospective student, employee etc) who passes an entrance exam; toHSK 4
登录dēnglùto register; to log inHSK 4
录像lùxiàngto videotape; to videorecordHSK 6
录音机lùyīnjī(tape) recording machine; tape recorderHSK 6
纪录片jìlùpiànnewsreel; documentary (film or TV program)HSK 7-9
目录mùlùcatalog; table of contentsHSK 7-9
录制lùzhìto record (video or audio)HSK 7-9
回忆录huíyìlùmemoirHSK 7-9
录像带lùxiàngdàivideotape; video cassette
录影带lùyǐngdài(Tw) videotape; video cassette
录音带lùyīndàiaudio tape

录 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

那nà台tái录lù音yīn机jī录lù下xià了le他tā的de声shēng音yīn。
That tape recorder recorded his voice.
请qǐng把bǎ他tā所suǒ说shuō的de记jì录lù下xià来lái。
Please write down what he says.
2016年nián是shì有yǒu记jì录lù以yǐ来lái最zuì热rè的de一yī年nián。
2016 was the hottest year on record.
我wǒ们men调diào查chá了le他tā的de犯fàn规guī记jì录lù。
We have investigated his criminal record.
他tā喜xǐ欢huān回huí顾gù老lǎo录lù像xiàng带dài。
He likes re-watching the old videotapes.

Characters that contain 录

Learning 录 makes these easier to recognize and write.

Questions about 录

How many strokes are in 录?

录 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.

What does 录 mean?

录 (lù) means diary; record; to hit. A common word with it is 记录 (jìlù), meaning "to record; record (esp. a written account)".

How do you pronounce 录?

录 is pronounced lù, in the fourth tone (falling).

What is the radical of 录?

The radical of 录 is 彐, which carries the idea of "snout". Dictionaries list 录 under this radical.

What is the traditional form of 录?

The traditional form of 录 is 彔 and 錄. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 录 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.

Is 录 on the HSK exam?

Yes. 录 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.

What does 录取 mean when talking about schools or jobs?

录取 (lùqǔ) means an applicant has been accepted after passing an exam or selection. Example: 他被北京大学录取了。(Tā bèi Běijīng Dàxué lùqǔ le.) He was admitted to Peking University.

Is 录 the same lù as in 路 (road) or 绿 (green)?

录 and 路 are both pronounced lù with the fourth tone, but they are unrelated words. 绿 is usually lǜ, though it shares the 录 shape on its right side, which can help you remember how to write it.

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