线 meaning and stroke order
Thread; string; wire
How to write 线, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 线
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- thread
- string
- wire
- line
- (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)
- variant of 線|线[xian4]
How 线 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 戋 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 线
The left side 纟 is the silk radical, so the meaning is about thread. The right side 戋 (jiān) hints at the sound, and you can picture its stacked strokes as strands of thread being cut into thin lines.
线 (xiàn) covers anything long and thin: sewing thread, electric wire, drawn lines, and transport routes. It also appears in abstract words like 线索 (xiànsuǒ, clue) and 前线 (qiánxiàn, front line). Example: 地铁二号线很方便。(Dìtiě èr hào xiàn hěn fāngbiàn.) Metro Line 2 is very convenient.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 戈 (gē) and forget the second short horizontal stroke of 戋. Others mix up 线 with 钱 (qián, money), which has the same 戋 part but uses the metal radical 钅.
Common words with 线
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 路线 | lùxiàn | itinerary; route | HSK 3 |
| 线索 | xiànsuǒ | trail; clues | HSK 5 |
| 光线 | guāngxiàn | light ray; light | HSK 5 |
| 直线 | zhíxiàn | straight line; sharply (rise or fall) | HSK 5 |
| 线路 | xiànlù | (electricity) line; circuit; wire; (traffic) road; track; route | HSK 6 |
| 热线 | rèxiàn | hotline (communications link) | HSK 6 |
| 无线电 | wúxiàndiàn | radio; wireless (i.e. the technology used in radio telecommunication); a radio | HSK 7-9 |
| 前线 | qiánxiàn | front line; military front | HSK 7-9 |
| 视线 | shìxiàn | line of sight | HSK 7-9 |
| 电线 | diànxiàn | wire; power cord | HSK 7-9 |
| 在线 | zàixiàn | online; connected to the Internet; (fig.) (coll.) (of a person) mentally focused; engaged; | HSK 7-9 |
| 底线 | dǐxiàn | bottom line; the limit of what one is prepared to accept; (sports) baseline | HSK 7-9 |
| 一线 | yīxiàn | front line; front-line position; a ray of; a glimmer of (hope, light etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 天线 | tiānxiàn | antenna; aerial; (fig.) connection to higher authorities; channel to influential people | HSK 7-9 |
线 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 线
How many strokes are in 线?
线 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 线 mean?
线 (xiàn) means thread; string; wire. A common word with it is 路线 (lùxiàn), meaning "itinerary; route".
How do you pronounce 线?
线 is pronounced xiàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 线?
The radical of 线 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 线 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 线?
The traditional form of 线 is 綫 and 線. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 线 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 线 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 线 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 一线城市 mean?
一线城市 (yīxiàn chéngshì) means a first-tier city, like Beijing or Shanghai. After a number, 线 marks an informal ranking of Chinese cities, so 二线城市 is a second-tier city.
How do you say a phone line is busy or online in Chinese?
占线 (zhànxiàn) means the line is busy, as in 电话占线 (diànhuà zhànxiàn). 在线 (zàixiàn) means online, and 下线 (xiàxiàn) means to go offline.