律 meaning and stroke order
Statute, principle, regulation
How to write 律, stroke by stroke
9 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
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- 9
Meaning of 律
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- law
How 律 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To walk 彳 as required by law 聿.
Radical: 彳 (to step with the left foot), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 律
On the left is 彳, a step or walking, and on the right is 聿, a hand holding a brush. Think of walking the path that the brush has written down as law, so 律 (lǜ) means a rule you follow.
律 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 法律 (fǎlǜ, law), 律师 (lǜshī, lawyer), 纪律 (jìlǜ, discipline) and 规律 (guīlǜ, regular pattern). Example: 他每天的生活很有规律。(Tā měitiān de shēnghuó hěn yǒu guīlǜ.) His daily life is very regular.
Common mistake: Learners often write 律 with the single-person radical 亻 instead of the double-person 彳, or mix it up with 津 (jīn), which has the water radical. Also remember the pinyin is lǜ with ü, not lù, so type it as lv4 or lu:4 on many keyboards.
Common words with 律
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 律师 | lǜshī | lawyer | HSK 4 |
| 法律 | fǎlǜ | law | HSK 4 |
| 规律 | guīlǜ | rule (e.g. of science); law of behavior | HSK 4 |
| 纪律 | jìlǜ | discipline | HSK 4 |
| 一律 | yīlǜ | same; identical; uniformly; all; without exception | HSK 4 |
| 旋律 | xuánlǜ | melody | HSK 7-9 |
| 定律 | dìnglǜ | scientific law (e.g. law of conservation of energy); (in human affairs) a generalization b | |
| 律所 | lǜsuǒ | law firm (abbr. for 律師事務所|律师事务所[lu : 4 shi1 shi4 wu4 suo3]) | |
| 律法 | lǜfǎ | laws and decrees | |
| 戒律 | jièlǜ | monastic discipline; commandment | |
| 沙律 | shālǜ | see 沙拉[sha1 la1] | |
| 自律 | zìlǜ | self-discipline; self-regulation | |
| 韵律 | yùnlǜ | cadence; rhythm |
律 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 律
How many strokes are in 律?
律 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 律 mean?
律 (lǜ) means statute, principle, regulation. A common word with it is 律师 (lǜshī), meaning "lawyer".
How do you pronounce 律?
律 is pronounced lǜ, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 律?
The radical of 律 is 彳, which carries the idea of "to step with the left foot". Dictionaries list 律 under this radical.
Is 律 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 律 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 法律 and 规律?
法律 (fǎlǜ) is law made by people and enforced by a government. 规律 (guīlǜ) is a natural pattern or regularity, like the laws of nature or a regular daily routine.
Why does 律 appear in 旋律 (melody)?
律 also carries a sense of regular rules or order, which extends to musical pitch and rhythm. So 旋律 (xuánlǜ) means melody, and 律 is not about legal law in that word.