Meaning of 条
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- strip
- item
- article
- clause (of law or treaty)
- classifier for long thin things (ribbon, river, road, trousers etc)
How to use 条
条 is mostly used as a measure word for long, thin things like roads, rivers, fish, trousers, and also for items such as news or rules. It also appears in words like 面条 (miàntiáo, noodles) and 条件 (tiáojiàn, condition). Example: 这条路很长。(Zhè tiáo lù hěn cháng.) This road is very long.
The bottom of 条 (tiáo) is 木 (mù, tree). Picture a long, thin branch cut from a tree, and you have the idea of a strip or a long thin thing.
Common mistake: Learners often use 个 (gè) instead of 条 for roads, rivers, or pants, as in 一个裤子. The natural form is 一条裤子 (yì tiáo kùzi). Also watch the tone: 条 is second tone (tiáo), not fourth.
条 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
条 tiáo · strip · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 条.
| 面条儿 | miàntiáor | erhua variant of 麵條|面条[mian4 tiao2] |
| 条件 | tiáojiàn | condition; circumstance; term; factor; requirement; prerequisite; qualification |
| 便条 | biàntiáo | (informal) note |
| 薯条 | shǔtiáo | french fries; french fried potatoes |
| 条款 | tiáokuǎn | clause (of contract or law) |
| 条约 | tiáoyuē | treaty; pact |
| 头条 | tóutiáo | lead story (on the news) |
| 条例 | tiáolì | regulations; rules; code of conduct; ordinances; statutes |
| 无条件 | wútiáojiàn | unconditional |
| 线条 | xiàntiáo | line (in drawing, calligraphy etc); the lines or contours of a three-dimensional object (h |
| 萧条 | xiāotiáo | bleak; desolate; (economics) in a slump; sluggish; depressed |
| 苗条 | miáotiao | (of a woman) slim; slender |
Questions about 条
What does 条 mean?
条 (tiáo) means "strip; item" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 条?
条 is made of 1 character: 条 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 条 an HSK word?
Yes. 条 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 条 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 条 is written 條.
Why is 条 used for fish and dogs?
Fish, snakes, and some dogs have long bodies, so Chinese treats them as long thin things. You say 一条鱼 (yì tiáo yú, a fish) and 一条狗 (yì tiáo gǒu, a dog), though 一只狗 (yì zhī gǒu) is also common.
Can 条 be used for abstract things?
Yes. It counts items in a list or message, such as 一条新闻 (yì tiáo xīnwén, a news item), 一条短信 (yì tiáo duǎnxìn, a text message), and 一条规定 (yì tiáo guīdìng, a rule). In legal texts it marks numbered articles, like 第三条 (dì sān tiáo, Article 3).