类 meaning and stroke order
Kind; type; class; category; (classifier) kind; type; (bound form) to resemble; to be similar to
How to write 类, 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.
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Meaning of 类
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- kind; type; class; category
- (classifier) kind; type
- (bound form) to resemble; to be similar to
How 类 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 类
类 (lèi) is 米 (mǐ, rice) sitting on top of 大 (dà, big). Picture a big pile of rice sorted into grains of the same kind, and you have a category.
类 is mostly used inside words like 人类 (rénlèi, humanity), 种类 (zhǒnglèi, kind), 分类 (fēnlèi, to classify) and 类似 (lèisì, similar). It can also work as a classifier for kinds of things. Example: 这类问题很常见。(Zhè lèi wèntí hěn chángjiàn.) This kind of problem is very common.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 犬 or 太 by adding an extra dot. The simplified 类 has just 大 under 米. Also keep the fourth tone lèi, and do not confuse it with 累 (lèi, tired), which sounds the same but has 田 over 糸.
Common words with 类
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人类 | rénlèi | humanity; human race | HSK 3 |
| 类似 | lèisì | similar; analogous | HSK 3 |
| 类型 | lèixíng | type; kind; category; (computer programming) type | HSK 4 |
| 种类 | zhǒnglèi | kind; genus | HSK 4 |
| 分类 | fēnlèi | to classify | HSK 5 |
| 之类 | zhīlèi | and so on; and such | HSK 6 |
| 同类 | tónglèi | similar; same type | HSK 7-9 |
| 诸如此类 | zhūrú-cǐlèi | things like this (idiom); and so on; and the rest | HSK 7-9 |
| 类别 | lèibié | classification; category | HSK 7-9 |
| 一类 | yīlèi | same type; category 1 (i.e. class A) | |
| 鸟类 | niǎolèi | birds | |
| 这类 | zhèlèi | this kind (of) | |
| 败类 | bàilèi | scum of a community; degenerate | |
| 鱼类 | yúlèi | fishes |
类 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 类
How many strokes are in 类?
类 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 类 mean?
类 (lèi) means kind; type; class; category; (classifier) kind; type; (bound form) to resemble; to be similar to. A common word with it is 人类 (rénlèi), meaning "humanity; human race".
How do you pronounce 类?
类 is pronounced lèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 类?
The radical of 类 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 类 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 类?
The traditional form of 类 is 類. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 类 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 类 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 类 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 is the difference between 类 and 种 when talking about kinds?
Both can mean kind or type, and they combine in 种类 (zhǒnglèi). As a classifier, 种 (zhǒng) is more common in everyday speech, as in 这种书 (this kind of book). 类 sounds a bit more formal and stresses a broader category, as in 这类书.
How do I use 之类 at the end of a list?
Put 之类 (zhīlèi) after one or more examples to mean and things like that, often followed by 的 and a noun. For example, 苹果、香蕉之类的水果 (píngguǒ, xiāngjiāo zhīlèi de shuǐguǒ) means fruits like apples and bananas.