Meaning of 线
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- thread
- string
- wire
- line
- (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)
Measure word: 條|条,股,根
- variant of 線|线[xian4]
How to use 线
线 means a physical thread, string or wire, and also an abstract line, like a route or a boundary. It appears in many compounds such as 路线 (lùxiàn, route), 直线 (zhíxiàn, straight line) and 热线 (rèxiàn, hotline). Example: 我坐地铁二号线上班。(Wǒ zuò dìtiě èr hào xiàn shàngbān.) I take Metro Line 2 to work.
线 (xiàn) has the silk radical 纟 on the left, which marks things made of thread. Picture the right side 戋 as a spool, and the silk being pulled off it as a long thread or line.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 线 (xiàn) with 钱 (qián, money) and 浅 (qiǎn, shallow), because all three share the right side 戋. Check the left side: 纟 for thread, 钅 for metal, 氵 for water.
线 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.
线 xiàn · thread · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 线.
| 路线 | lùxiàn | itinerary; route |
| 线索 | xiànsuǒ | trail; clues |
| 光线 | guāngxiàn | light ray; light |
| 直线 | zhíxiàn | straight line; sharply (rise or fall) |
| 线路 | xiànlù | (electricity) line; circuit; wire; (traffic) road; track; route |
| 热线 | rèxiàn | hotline (communications link) |
| 无线电 | wúxiàndiàn | radio; wireless (i.e. the technology used in radio telecommunication); a radio |
| 前线 | qiánxiàn | front line; military front |
| 视线 | shìxiàn | line of sight |
| 电线 | diànxiàn | wire; power cord |
| 在线 | zàixiàn | online; connected to the Internet; (fig.) (coll.) (of a person) mentally focused; engaged; |
| 底线 | dǐxiàn | bottom line; the limit of what one is prepared to accept; (sports) baseline |
Questions about 线
What does 线 mean?
线 (xiàn) means "thread; string" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 线?
线 is made of 1 character: 线 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 线 an HSK word?
Yes. 线 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 线 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 线 is written 線.
What does 一线城市 mean?
After a number, 线 can mean a tier in an unofficial ranking of Chinese cities. 一线城市 (yīxiàn chéngshì) means a first-tier city, like Beijing or Shanghai, and 二线城市 means a second-tier city.
How do you say a piece of thread with a measure word?
You usually use 根 (gēn) or 条 (tiáo), as in 一根线 (yì gēn xiàn), a piece of thread. For a line drawn on paper, 条 is common: 一条直线 (yì tiáo zhíxiàn), a straight line.