绿 meaning and stroke order
Green; (slang) (derived from 綠帽子|绿帽子[lu:4 mao4 zi5]) to cheat on (one's spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend)
How to write 绿, stroke by stroke
11 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 绿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- green
- (slang) (derived from 綠帽子|绿帽子[lu:4 mao4 zi5]) to cheat on (one's spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend)
- used in names
How 绿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Silk.
纟 gives the meaning and 录 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 绿
The silk radical 纟 sits beside 录 (lù), which gives the sound. Picture silk thread dyed green, and remember that 录 lù sounds close to 绿 lǜ.
绿 (lǜ) is the everyday word for green and usually appears in compounds like 绿色 (lǜsè) and 绿灯 (lǜdēng). In slang, 绿 can mean to cheat on a partner, from 绿帽子 (lǜ màozi). Example: 春天到了，树都绿了。(Chūntiān dào le, shù dōu lǜ le.) Spring is here, and the trees have turned green.
Common mistake: Learners often say lù or lu instead of lǜ. The vowel is ü, written lv when typing pinyin, so 绿 (lǜ) and 路 (lù, road) are different words. Also do not confuse 绿 with 缘 (yuán, fate), which looks similar on the right side.
Common words with 绿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 绿色 | lǜsè | green | HSK 2 |
| 绿茶 | lǜchá | green tea; (slang) (of a girl) seemingly innocent and charming but actually calculating an | HSK 3 |
| 绿化 | lǜhuà | to make green with plants; to reforest | HSK 6 |
| 绿灯 | lǜdēng | green light (traffic signal); (fig.) permission to proceed | HSK 7-9 |
| 碧绿 | bìlǜ | dark green | HSK 7-9 |
| 翠绿 | cuìlǜ | greenish-blue; emerald green | HSK 7-9 |
| 绿地 | lǜdì | green area (e.g. urban park or garden) | HSK 7-9 |
| 绿洲 | lǜzhōu | oasis | |
| 绿卡 | lǜkǎ | permanent residency permit (originally referred specifically to the US green card) | |
| 红绿灯 | hónglǜdēng | traffic light; traffic signal |
绿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 绿
How many strokes are in 绿?
绿 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 绿 mean?
绿 (lǜ) means green; (slang) (derived from 綠帽子|绿帽子[lu:4 mao4 zi5]) to cheat on (one's spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend). A common word with it is 绿色 (lǜsè), meaning "green".
How do you pronounce 绿?
绿 is pronounced lǜ, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 绿?
The radical of 绿 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 绿 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 绿?
The traditional form of 绿 is 綠. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 绿 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 绿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 绿 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why is wearing a green hat a joke in Chinese?
戴绿帽子 (dài lǜ màozi), to wear a green hat, means your partner is cheating on you. Because of this, Chinese speakers generally avoid green hats, and 绿 alone can be slang for being cheated on.
What does 绿茶 mean as slang?
Besides green tea, 绿茶 (lǜchá) describes a girl who seems innocent and sweet but is actually calculating and manipulative. It is an insult, so context matters when you use the word.