虏 meaning and stroke order
Prisoner; to capture, to imprison, to sieze
How to write 虏, 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
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- 8
Meaning of 虏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- prisoner of war
- to capture
- to take prisoner
- (old) northern barbarian
- slave
How 虏 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Strength.
力 gives the meaning and 虍 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虍 (tiger), shared by 13 characters on this site.
How to remember 虏
Picture the tiger top 虍 (hū) pressing down on 力 (lì, strength): a strong force pins someone under it and takes them prisoner. The data marks 力 as the meaning part (strength) and 虍 as the sound hint.
虏 (lǔ) rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in the word 俘虏 (fúlǔ), which works as a verb (to capture) or a noun (a prisoner of war). Example: 敌军俘虏了很多士兵。(Díjūn fúlǔ le hěn duō shìbīng.) The enemy captured many soldiers.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 虏 (lǔ) with 虑 (lǜ, to consider), which has the same tiger top but 心 at the bottom. 虏 has 力 under the top, while 虑 has 心. Also keep the third tone in lǔ, not the fourth tone of lǜ.
Common words with 虏
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 俘虏 | fúlǔ | to take prisoner; a captive (usu. a prisoner of war) | HSK 7-9 |
虏 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 虏
Learning 虏 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 虏
How many strokes are in 虏?
虏 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 虏 mean?
虏 (lǔ) means prisoner; to capture, to imprison, to sieze. A common word with it is 俘虏 (fúlǔ), meaning "to take prisoner; a captive (usu. a prisoner of war)".
How do you pronounce 虏?
虏 is pronounced lǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 虏?
The radical of 虏 is 虍, which carries the idea of "tiger". Dictionaries list 虏 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 虏?
The traditional form of 虏 is 虜. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 虏 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 虏 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 虏 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 虏 be used in a romantic sense, like capturing someone's heart?
Yes, informally. People say 俘虏了她的心 (fúlǔ le tā de xīn), meaning he won her heart. It is playful and figurative.
Why does 虏 sometimes appear in old texts as an insult?
In older Chinese, 虏 was a derogatory term for northern non-Han peoples, a bit like barbarian. It could also mean slave. These senses are historical and you will see them mainly in classical writing or historical dramas.