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瘤 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瘤liútumorHSK 7, n, 15 strokes, radical 疒, rank #7399, Very Hard
瘤liútumor, lump, goiterHSK 7, n, 15 strokes, radical 疒, rank #7399, Very Hard
瘤liúold variant of 瘤[liú]HSK 7, n, 15 strokes, radical 疒, rank #7399, Very Hard
liú(liu2)liu T2
  1. 1tumor
  2. 2tumor, lump, goiter
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March 24, 2026

瘤liú(liu2)

The character 瘤 (liú) refers to a tumor or lump in the body, often used in medical contexts. It can indicate various types of abnormal growths, such as a goiter or other swellings that may require medical attention. Its usage is primarily in health-related discussions and literature.

Strokes15Radical疒Frequency#7399DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the understanding of tumors or lumps is often approached holistically, considering lifestyle and diet, which contrasts with Western medical treatment that might focus more on surgical or pharmaceutical interventions.

Memory tip

Imagine a large, swollen tumor on an animal's back. The character 瘤 resembles a creature with a big lump, and the 'liú' sound can remind you of 'lump', making it easier to remember the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 瘤

liú(liu2)
1tumor
2tumor, lump, goiter
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 瘤

瘤Simplified
15Strokes
疒Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#7399Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 瘤

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Podcast: 瘤

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AI study notes for 瘤

Quick Contrast

肿瘤 (zhǒngliú) - use 瘤 (liú) for general lumps or tumors, while 肿瘤 (zhǒngliú) specifically refers to tumors, particularly malignant ones.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 瘤 with similar-sounding terms; it specifically denotes a tumor rather than just any bump or swelling. This term is more common in formal medical contexts, so avoid using it in casual conversation unless necessary. Common collocations include '瘤的大小' (size of the tumor) and '良性瘤' (benign tumor).

HSK Study Tips

While 瘤 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your medical vocabulary at higher levels. Focus on related terms like 肿瘤 (zhǒngliú), which means tumor, and practice using them in sentences to build contextual understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瘤 with other related terms like 脓 (nóng, pus) or 肿 (zhǒng, swelling), leading to incorrect usage. For instance, saying '我有一个脓' (I have a pus) instead of '我有一个瘤' (I have a tumor) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瘤

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Etymology of 瘤

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

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 留 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癅.

Memory hint

sickness

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

Origin

瘤 = 疒 + 留. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 瘤

IDS Structure⿸疒留
瘤Full character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
留liu2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 瘤?

How to say tumor in Chinese

“tumor” in Chinese is瘤liú

The character 瘤 (liú) refers to a tumor or lump in the body, often used in medical contexts. It can indicate various types of abnormal growths, such as a goiter or other swellings that may require medical attention. Its usage is primarily in health-related discussions and literature.

When to use 瘤

Be careful not to confuse 瘤 with similar-sounding terms; it specifically denotes a tumor rather than just any bump or swelling. This term is more common in formal medical contexts, so avoid using it in casual conversation unless necessary. Common collocations include '瘤的大小' (size of the tumor) and '良性瘤' (benign tumor).

瘤 or something close to it

肿瘤 (zhǒngliú) - use 瘤 (liú) for general lumps or tumors, while 肿瘤 (zhǒngliú) specifically refers to tumors, particularly malignant ones.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 瘤 with other related terms like 脓 (nóng, pus) or 肿 (zhǒng, swelling), leading to incorrect usage. For instance, saying '我有一个脓' (I have a pus) instead of '我有一个瘤' (I have a tumor) is incorrect.

Write 瘤

瘤

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

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Grammar patterns of 瘤

瘤 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 5

Fill the gap

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

我用完善后的技术摘掉了纤维____。

I removed the fibroid tumours, using the techniques that I have perfected.

Example sentences for 瘤 (10)

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1
我用完善后的技术摘掉了纤维瘤。

wǒ yòng wánshàn hòu de jìshù zhāi diào le xiānwéi liú。

I removed the fibroid tumours, using the techniques that I have perfected.
2
他于1984年意外死于脑瘤。

tā yú1984 nián yìwài sǐ yú nǎo liú。

He died in 1984 of an unsuspected brain tumour.
3
多节瘤的老橡树

duō jié liú de lǎo xiàng shù

a gnarled old oak tree
4
目的分析外阴原发性恶性肿瘤的临床和病理特征.

mùdì fēnxī wài yīn yuán fā xìng èxìng zhǒngliú de línchuáng hé bìnglǐ tèzhēng.

Objective To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of malignancies of vulva.
5
这种外科手术甚至可以用来切除癌性肿瘤。

zhè zhǒng wàikē shǒushù shènzhì kěyǐ yònglái qiēchú ái xìng zhǒngliú。

This type of surgery could even be used to extract cancerous growths.
6
这棵树的树枝扭曲多瘤且呈红色,树叶则是深绿色。

zhè kē shù de shùzhī niǔqū duō liú qiě chéng hóngsè, shùyè zé shì shēn lǜsè。

The tree has gnarled red branches and deep green leaves.
7
天冬酰胺酶具有显著的抗肿瘤作用.

tiān dōng xiān àn méi jùyǒu xiǎnzhù de kàng zhǒngliú zuòyòng.

L asparaginase is a very effective anti tumor agent.
8
会阴部丘疹的切片病理变化,与汗管瘤相符.

huì yīn bù Qiū zhěn de qiē piàn bìnglǐ biànhuà, yǔ hàn guǎn liú Xiāng fú.

A biopsy revealed that the histological change was compatible with a syringoma.
9
爱泼斯坦担心肿瘤可能已经损伤地的双腿,再也无法恢复.

ài pō Sī tǎn dānxīn zhǒngliú kěnéng yǐjīng sǔnshāng dì de shuāng tuǐ, zàiyě wúfǎ huīfù.

Epstein worried that the tumor might have damaged Julian's legs beyond recovery.
10
他的肺上长了个恶性肿瘤.

tā de fèi shàng cháng le gè èxìng zhǒngliú.

He had a cancerous growth on his lung.

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Word Family of 瘤

Words containing this character13
肿瘤zhǒngliútumor腫瘤
瘤liútumor
脑瘤nǎoliúbrain tumor腦瘤
恶性肿瘤èxìngzhǒngliúmalignant tumor惡性腫瘤
毒瘤dúliúmalignant tumor
肉瘤ròuliúwart
瘤子liúzitumor
血管瘤xuèguǎnliúangioma (medicine)
良性肿瘤liángxìngzhǒngliúbenign tumor良性腫瘤
畸胎瘤jītāiliúteratoma (medicine)
骨瘤gǔliúosteoma (benign tumor composed of bone-like material)
间皮瘤jiānpíliúmesothelioma (medicine)間皮瘤
赘瘤zhuìliúuseless贅瘤
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 瘤

What does 肿瘤 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 瘤

瘤 specifically refers to a tumor or lump, while 肿瘤 is a broader term for any type of tumor, typically used in medical contexts.

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