镰 meaning and stroke order
Sickle
How to write 镰, stroke by stroke
18 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 镰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) sickle
- old variant of 鐮|镰[lian2]
- variant of 鐮|镰[lian2]
How 镰 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 廉 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 镰
The metal radical 钅 on the left tells you this is a metal tool, and 廉 (lián) on the right gives the sound. Picture a metal blade that sounds like lián: the curved sickle.
镰 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside the word 镰刀 (liándāo), sickle. It shows up when people talk about farming, harvest work, or the hammer and sickle symbol. Example: 农民用镰刀割麦子。(Nóngmín yòng liándāo gē màizi.) Farmers cut wheat with a sickle.
Common mistake: Learners often write 廉 (lián, cheap or honest) alone or mix it up with 镰, since they sound the same. Remember that the tool needs the metal radical 钅. Also keep the second tone. Do not say liǎn, which is the sound of 脸 (face).
Common words with 镰
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 镰刀 | liándāo | sickle |
镰 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 镰
How many strokes are in 镰?
镰 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 镰 mean?
镰 (lián) means sickle. A common word with it is 镰刀 (liándāo), meaning "sickle".
How do you pronounce 镰?
镰 is pronounced lián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 镰?
The radical of 镰 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 镰 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 镰?
The traditional form of 镰 is 䥥, 鎌 and 鐮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 镰 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I use 镰 by itself to mean sickle?
Not usually. In modern Chinese it is a bound form, so you say 镰刀 (liándāo) rather than 镰 alone.
How do you say hammer and sickle in Chinese?
It is 镰刀锤子 (liándāo chuízi), or 锤子和镰刀 (chuízi hé liándāo). Both use the full word 镰刀.