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刘 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
刘liúto kill, to destroy; surnamezg, 6 strokes, radical 刂, rank #12693, Very Hard
刘liúsurname Liuunknown, 6 strokes, radical 刂, rank #12693, Very Hard
liú(Liu2)liu T2
  1. 1to kill, to destroy; surname
Also a Chinese surname, Liú — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

刘(劉)liú(Liu2)

The character 刘 (liú) primarily means 'to kill' or 'to destroy,' but it is also a common Chinese surname. In different contexts, it can imply a sense of elimination or removal, and as a surname, it is quite prevalent in China.

Strokes6Radical刂Frequency#12693DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The surname 刘 is associated with many historical figures in Chinese history, including Liu Bei from the Three Kingdoms period, highlighting its cultural significance. In modern times, many well-known personalities bear this surname.

Memory Tip

Imagine a fierce warrior named Liu who is known for his skills in battle, striking down enemies. The character 刘 combines the radical for 'man' (亻) with the phonetic component 'liú,' helping you remember that this character is about action and force.

Meanings of 刘

liú(Liu2)
1to kill, to destroy; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 刘 means.

About 刘

刘Simplified
劉Traditional
6Strokes
刂Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 刘

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Podcast: 刘

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AI Study Notes for 刘

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 刘 with similar-sounding characters like 流 (liú), which means 'to flow.' Liu is a surname and should be used respectfully when addressing individuals. Be mindful of the tone; it is pronounced with a rising tone, which can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

Although 刘 is not listed in the HSK vocabulary, it is useful to know as a surname and in historical contexts. Students should focus on recognizing it in texts or conversations, especially since it may appear in common names and phrases.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 刘 with the character for 'flow' (流, liú), which can lead to misunderstandings. A correct example would be using 刘 for a surname, whereas flow should be used in contexts involving movement, like water.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 刘

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Etymology of 刘

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

Simplified form of 劉. Based on the original meaning "battle-axe". The current meaning is a phonetic loan. The traditional component 卯 was removed for simplification.

Memory Hint

knife

Semantic (meaning)刂
+
Phonetic (sound)文
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

刘 = 刂 + 文. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 刘

IDS Structure⿰文刂
刘Full Character
=
文Wen2
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 刘?

How to say to kill, to destroy; surname in Chinese

“to kill, to destroy; surname” in Chinese is刘liú

The character 刘 (liú) primarily means 'to kill' or 'to destroy,' but it is also a common Chinese surname. In different contexts, it can imply a sense of elimination or removal, and as a surname, it is quite prevalent in China.

When to use 刘

Common mistakes include confusing 刘 with similar-sounding characters like 流 (liú), which means 'to flow.' Liu is a surname and should be used respectfully when addressing individuals. Be mindful of the tone; it is pronounced with a rising tone, which can change the meaning entirely.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 刘 with the character for 'flow' (流, liú), which can lead to misunderstandings. A correct example would be using 刘 for a surname, whereas flow should be used in contexts involving movement, like water.

Write 刘

刘

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

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Grammar Patterns of 刘

刘 carries 2 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 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

“不管怎样，我到底做错了什么？”——“这我也不知道，____易斯。”

"What am I doing wrong, anyway?" — "Beats me, Lewis."

Example Sentences for 刘 (10)

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1
“不管怎样，我到底做错了什么？”——“这我也不知道，刘易斯。”

“ “ bù guǎn zěn， yàng ， wǒ dào dǐ zuò cuò le？”——“ shí mó ？”——“ zhè wǒ yě， bù zhī dào。”

"What am I doing wrong, anyway?" — "Beats me, Lewis."
2
刘易斯先生对这一切不以为意，令人厌恶。

liú yì sī xiān shēng duì zhè yī qiē bù yǐ wéi yì， ， líng rén yàn。

Mr. Lewis takes an insufferably glib attitude toward it all.
3
几小时之内，警察就抓到了刘易斯提到的那三个人。

jī xiǎo shí zhī nèi， ， jǐng chá jiù zhuā dào le liú yì sī tí dào de nà sān gè。

Within hours, police corralled the three men Lewis had named.
4
刘易斯对决世界拳击组织的重量级拳王汤米·莫里森。

liú yì sī duì jué shì jiè quán jī zǔ zhī de zhòng liáng jí quán wáng tāng mǐ· · mò lǐ。

Lewis is matched against the WBO's heavyweight champion, Tommy Morrison.
5
那天晚上晚些时候，刘易斯开始哼唱另一首斯普林斯汀的歌曲。

nà tiān wǎn shàng wǎn xiē shí hòu， ， liú yì sī kāi shǐ hēng chàng lìng yī shǒu sī pǔ lín sī tīng de gē。

Later in the evening, Lewis began to croon another Springsteen song.
6
刘易斯无论如何得躲开拉多克凌厉的左钩拳才行。

liú yì sī wú lùn rú hé dé duǒ kāi lā duō kè líng lì de zuǒ gōu quán cái háng。

Lewis desperately needs to keep clear of Ruddock's big left hook.
7
刘易斯·多尔西对超国公司的直觉有几分正确性?

liú yì sī· · duō ěr xī duì chāo guó gōng sī de zhí jué yǒu jī fēn zhèng què?

How sound was Lewis D'Orsey's instinct about supranational corporation?
8
刘易斯写了13本小说和10本纪实文学作品。

liú yì sī xiě le13 13 běn xiǎo shuō10 hé 10 běn jì shí wén xué。

Lewis is the author of thirteen novels and ten non-fiction books.
9
刘易斯作为一位悟性很高的优秀作曲家崭露头角。

liú yì sī zuò wéi yī wèi wù xìng hěn gāo de yōu xiù zuò qū jiā zhǎn lòu tóu jiǎo。

Lewis emerges as a composer of distinction and sensitivity.
10
刘易斯·海德将军曾是“比利”·米切尔将军的部下。

liú yì sī· · hǎi dé jiāng jūn zēng“ shì “”· bǐ lì ”· mǐ qiē ěr jiāng jūn。

General Lewis Hyde had served under General "Billy" Mitchell.

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Word Family of 刘

Words Containing This Character13
刘liúsurname Liu劉
刘翔Liu Xiang (1983-), Chinese gold-medal hurdler of the 2004 Olympic Games劉翔
刘海bangs劉海
刘德华Andy Lau (1961-), Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actor劉德華
刘少奇Liu Shaoqi (1898-1969), Chinese communist leader, a martyr of the Cultural Revolution劉少奇
刘备Liu Bei (161-223), warlord at the end of the Han dynasty and founder of the Han kingdom of Shu 蜀漢|蜀汉 (c. 200-263), later the Shu Han dynasty劉備
刘邦Liu Bang (256 or 247-195 BC), bandit leader who became first Han emperor Han Gaozu 漢高祖|汉高祖 (reigned 202-195 BC)劉邦
刘裕Liu Yu, founder of Song of the Southern dynasties 劉宋|刘宋[Liú​Sòng], broke away from Eastern Jin in 420, reigned as Emperor Wu of Song 宋武帝[Sòng​Wǔ​dì]劉裕
刘洋Liu Yang (1978-), China's first female astronaut in space (June 16, 2012)劉洋
刘表Liu Biao (142-208), warlord劉表
刘心武Liu Xinwu (1942-), novelist劉心武
刘家辉Gordon Liu (1955-), Hong Kong action actor劉家輝
刘云山Liu Yunshan (1947-), PRC career politician, background in journalism in Inner Mongolia, from 2002 head of party Central Propaganda Section 中央宣传部劉雲山
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 刘

What does 刘翔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 刘

While 刘 is primarily a surname in modern usage, it can also mean 'to kill' or 'to destroy' in certain contexts.

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