類 meaning and stroke order
Category, class, group, kind; similar to; to resemble
How to write 類, stroke by stroke
19 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 類
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- kind; type; class; category
- (classifier) kind; type
- (bound form) to resemble; to be similar to
How 類 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 頁 (page), shared by 45 characters on this site.
How to remember 類
類 puts rice 米 on top of a dog 犬, with a head 頁 on the right. Picture sorting rice, dogs, and heads into separate piles, each pile one kind or category.
類 (lèi) means a kind or category and appears in many common words like 人类 (rénlèi, humanity), 种类 (zhǒnglèi, kind), and 分类 (fēnlèi, to classify). It can also act as a classifier for kinds of things, and in words like 类似 (lèisì) it means to resemble. Example: 这类问题很常见。(Zhè lèi wèntí hěn chángjiàn.) This kind of problem is very common.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the 犬 under 米 or write it as 大, missing the dot. Also note the simplified form 类 keeps only 米 over 大, so do not mix the two forms in the same text.
Common words with 類
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人類 | rénlèi | humanity; human race | HSK 3 |
| 類似 | lèisì | similar; analogous | HSK 3 |
| 類型 | lèixíng | type; kind; category; (computer programming) type | HSK 4 |
| 種類 | zhǒnglèi | kind; genus | HSK 4 |
| 分類 | fēnlèi | to classify | HSK 5 |
| 之類 | zhīlèi | and so on; and such | HSK 6 |
| 同類 | tónglèi | similar; same type | HSK 7-9 |
| 諸如此類 | zhūrú-cǐlèi | things like this (idiom); and so on; and the rest | HSK 7-9 |
| 類別 | lèibié | classification; category | HSK 7-9 |
| 一類 | yīlèi | same type; category 1 (i.e. class A) | |
| 鳥類 | niǎolèi | birds | |
| 這類 | zhèlèi | this kind (of) | |
| 敗類 | bàilèi | scum of a community; degenerate | |
| 魚類 | yúlèi | fishes |
Questions about 類
How many strokes are in 類?
類 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 類 mean?
類 (lèi) means category, class, group, kind; similar to; to resemble. A common word with it is 人类 (rénlèi), meaning "humanity; human race".
How do you pronounce 類?
類 is pronounced lèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 類?
The radical of 類 is 頁, which carries the idea of "page". Dictionaries list 類 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 類?
類 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 类, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 类 (lèi) and 种 (zhǒng) for 'kind'?
Both work as classifiers meaning kind or type, as in 这种书 and 这类书. 类 tends to suggest a broader category or class, while 种 is more everyday and specific. They also combine as 种类 (zhǒnglèi).
How do you use 之类 (zhīlèi) in a sentence?
Put 之类 after a list of examples to mean 'and things like that'. For example, 苹果、香蕉之类的水果 (píngguǒ, xiāngjiāo zhīlèi de shuǐguǒ) means fruits like apples and bananas. It is often followed by 的 before a noun.