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戮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
戮lùto kill, to massacre; to oppresszg, 15 strokes, radical 戈, rank #41679, Very Hard
戮lùto peel with a knifeunknown, 15 strokes, radical 戈, rank #41679, Very Hard
戮lùold variant of 戮[lu4]unknown, 15 strokes, radical 戈, rank #41679, Very Hard
lù(lu4) T4
  1. 1to kill, to massacre; to oppress
  2. 2to peel with a knife
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

戮(剹)lù(lu4)

The character 戮 (lù) primarily means 'to kill' or 'to massacre,' often used to describe violent acts of slaughter. It can also imply oppression or severe punishment. This character is more formal and may be found in literary or historical contexts rather than everyday conversation.

Strokes15Radical戈Frequency#41679DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese history, the concept of 戮 is often associated with tales of war and conflict, reflecting the historical significance of warfare in shaping Chinese society. Many classical texts discuss the consequences of 戮 on both the victors and the vanquished.

Memory Tip

Imagine a fierce battle scene where soldiers wield their swords (戈, a radical in the character) to kill the enemy. The character 戮 looks like a soldier in action, and 'lù' sounds like 'loot,' which is what sometimes happens after a massacre.

Meanings of 戮

lù(lu4)
1to kill, to massacre; to oppress
2to peel with a knife
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 戮

戮Simplified
剹Traditional
15Strokes
戈Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 戮

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Podcast: 戮

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 戮

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 'lù'; using the wrong tone could change the meaning completely. This character is often used in formal writing, so it's less common in casual conversation. Common collocations include '屠戮' (túlù), meaning 'slaughter'.

HSK Study Tips

Although 戮 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it's useful for understanding literary texts or historical discussions. Students should also familiarize themselves with related words such as '杀' (shā, to kill) and '屠' (tú, to butcher).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 戮 with similar-sounding words. For example, saying 'lǜ' (绿, green) instead of 'lù' can lead to misunderstandings. Always double-check the tone when using this character.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 戮

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Etymology of 戮

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

spear

Semantic (meaning)戈
+
Phonetic (sound)翏
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 戮

  1. 1The meaning half戈 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half翏 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspear
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 戮? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 戮?

Decomposition of 戮

IDS Structure⿰翏戈
戮Full Character
=
翏liu4
left
戈Ge1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 戮?

How to say to kill, to massacre; to oppress in Chinese

“to kill, to massacre; to oppress” in Chinese is戮lù

The character 戮 (lù) primarily means 'to kill' or 'to massacre,' often used to describe violent acts of slaughter. It can also imply oppression or severe punishment. This character is more formal and may be found in literary or historical contexts rather than everyday conversation.

When to use 戮

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 'lù'; using the wrong tone could change the meaning completely. This character is often used in formal writing, so it's less common in casual conversation. Common collocations include '屠戮' (túlù), meaning 'slaughter'.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 戮 with similar-sounding words. For example, saying 'lǜ' (绿, green) instead of 'lù' can lead to misunderstandings. Always double-check the tone when using this character.

Write 戮

戮

Practice writing 戮 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 戮

戮 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

战争颠倒是非：杀____与残忍成了美德。

War turns morality inside out: killing and cruelty are virtues.

Example Sentences for 戮 (2)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
战争颠倒是非：杀戮与残忍成了美德。

zhàn zhēng diān dǎo shì fēi： ： shā lù yǔ cán rěn chéng le měi。

War turns morality inside out: killing and cruelty are virtues.
2
求你将他们拉出来,好象将宰的羊,叫他们等候杀戮的6日子.

qiú nǐ jiāng tā mén lā chū lái, , hǎo xiàng jiāng zǎi de, yáng , jiào tā mén děng hòu shā6 lù de.

Set them apart for the day of slaughter!

Word Family of 戮

Words Containing This Character6
杀戮to massacre殺戮
戮lùto peel with a knife剹
屠戮slaughter
诛戮to put to death誅戮
戮力同心concerted efforts in a common cause (idiom); united and working together
刑戮executed
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 杀戮 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 戮

You might say, '历史上有很多屠戮的事件' (There have been many massacres in history).

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