隸 meaning and stroke order
Subservient; servant
How to write 隸, stroke by stroke
17 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 隸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) a person in servitude; low-ranking subordinate
- (bound form) to be subordinate to
- (bound form) clerical script (the style of characters intermediate between ancient seal and modern regular characters)
How 隸 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bear.
柰 gives the meaning and 隶 hints at the sound.
Radical: 隶 (subservient), shared by 2 characters on this site.
How to remember 隸
The right side 隶 gives the sound lì and means to be attached to someone, while the left side 柰 adds weight. Picture a servant 隶 standing beside a heavy load he must bear for his master.
隸 is the traditional form of 隶 and appears mainly in fixed words like 奴隸 (núlì, slave) and 隸屬 (lìshǔ, to be under the jurisdiction of). It also names 隸書 (lìshū), the clerical script used in the Han dynasty. Example: 這個部門隸屬於教育部。(Zhège bùmén lìshǔ yú jiàoyùbù.) This department is under the Ministry of Education.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 隸 (lì) with 肆 (sì), which shares a similar right side. Also note the tone is fourth tone lì, not lǐ as in 李.
Common words with 隸
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 隸
How many strokes are in 隸?
隸 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 隸 mean?
隸 (lì) means subservient; servant. A common word with it is 奴隶 (núlì), meaning "slave".
How do you pronounce 隸?
隸 is pronounced lì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 隸?
The radical of 隸 is 隶, which carries the idea of "subservient". Dictionaries list 隸 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 隸?
隸 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 隶, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can 隸 be used alone as a word?
Rarely. In modern Chinese it is a bound form, so you almost always see it inside compounds like 奴隸 or 隸屬.
What is 隸書 (lìshū)?
It is clerical script, a calligraphy style between ancient seal script and modern regular script. It has flat, wide characters with flared horizontal strokes and is still popular on signs and in calligraphy.