蕾 meaning and stroke order
Flower bud
How to write 蕾, stroke by stroke
16 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 蕾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bud
How 蕾 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plant.
艹 gives the meaning and 雷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 蕾
The grass radical 艹 on top marks a plant, and 雷 (léi, thunder) underneath gives the sound. Picture a tight flower bud waiting under the spring thunder before it bursts open.
蕾 (lěi) means a flower bud and appears in words like 花蕾 (huālěi, flower bud). In everyday speech you will meet it most in loanwords such as 芭蕾 (bālěi, ballet) and 蕾丝 (lěisī, lace). Example: 她从小学芭蕾舞。(Tā cóngxiǎo xué bālěiwǔ.) She has studied ballet since she was little.
Common mistake: Learners often read 蕾 with the second tone because its sound part 雷 is léi, but 蕾 is third tone, lěi. Also do not drop the 艹 on top, or you are writing 雷 (thunder) instead.
Common words with 蕾
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
蕾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 蕾
How many strokes are in 蕾?
蕾 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蕾 mean?
蕾 (lěi) means flower bud. A common word with it is 芭蕾 (bālěi), meaning "ballet (loanword)".
How do you pronounce 蕾?
蕾 is pronounced lěi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 蕾?
The radical of 蕾 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 蕾 under this radical.
Is 蕾 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 蕾 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 蕾 appear in words for ballet and lace?
芭蕾 and 蕾丝 are sound loans from French ballet and English lace. The character was chosen mainly for its sound lěi, though its pretty, delicate meaning fits these words well.
Is 蕾 used in names?
Yes, 蕾 is a popular character in girls' given names because of its gentle meaning of a budding flower. It is also used to write foreign names, such as 蕾 for the sound "Ray" or "Lei".