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祿 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
祿blessing, happiness, prosperityzg, 12 strokes, radical 礻, Very Hard
(lu4) T4
  1. 1blessing, happiness, prosperity
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
祿(lu4)

The character 祿 (lù) refers to blessings or rewards, often associated with prosperity and happiness. It is commonly used in contexts related to good fortune and favorable outcomes, especially in a financial or spiritual sense.

Strokes12RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 祿 is often associated with the Lunar New Year, where people wish for prosperity and good fortune in the coming year. It embodies the traditional hope for a bountiful harvest and financial well-being.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'lucky' pig (the character's pronunciation sounds like 'lucky') receiving a golden 'blessing' (the radical 示 represents divination or blessings) that fills its trough with prosperity. This image connects the character's form and meaning to its pronunciation.

Meanings of 祿

(lu4)
1blessing, happiness, prosperity
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 祿

祿Simplified
12Strokes
Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 祿

JasonAmy

Podcast: 祿

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 祿

Quick Contrast

禄 (lù) refers specifically to official salary or income, while 祿 (lù) has a broader meaning of blessings or rewards.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a 'lucky' pig (the character's pronunciation sounds like 'lucky') receiving a golden 'blessing' (the radical 示 represents divination or blessings) that fills its trough with prosperity. This image connects the character's form and meaning to its pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Be aware that 祿 is often used in formal contexts, especially during celebrations or in traditional phrases. It frequently appears in collocations with terms related to wealth and success, such as '福祿' (fú lù, fortune and blessings). Pay attention to the tone when pronouncing 'lù' to avoid confusion with other characters.

HSK Study Tips

While 祿 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can be beneficial for grasping more complex phrases related to fortune. Focus on how it connects to other words like '福' (fú, fortune) and '吉' (jí, auspicious) to build a richer vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 祿 is often associated with the Lunar New Year, where people wish for prosperity and good fortune in the coming year. It embodies the traditional hope for a bountiful harvest and financial well-being.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 祿 with similar-sounding characters, such as 陆 (lù, land or shore). Remember that 祿 carries a more specific meaning related to blessings and prosperity, while 陆 refers to physical land.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 祿

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Etymology of 祿

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

Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 录 represents the sound. Simplified form of 祿.

Memory Hint

spirit

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 祿?

Decomposition of 祿

IDS Structure⿰礻彔
祿Full Character
=
shi4
left
lu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 祿?

Write 祿

祿

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 祿

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, 祿 is often associated with the Lunar New Year, where people wish for prosperity and good fortune in the coming year. It embodies the traditional hope for a bountiful harvest and financial well-being.

Word Family of 祿

Words Containing This Character20
good fortune祿
俸禄official's salary (in feudal times)俸祿
功名利禄position and wealth (idiom); rank, fame and fortune功名利祿
安禄山An Lushan (703-757), famous general and favorite of Tang emperor Xuanzong, eventually precipitated catastrophic An Shi rebellion (755-763)安祿山
高官厚禄high post and generous salary (idiom); promotion to a high official position高官厚祿
天禄possession of the empire天祿
利禄wealth and official post利祿
禄丰Lufeng county in Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture 楚雄彞族自治州|楚雄彝族自治州[Chǔ​xióng​Yí​zú​zì​zhì​zhōu], Yunnan祿豐
禄位official rank and salary祿位
爵禄rank and emolument of nobility爵祿
禄劝Luquan Yizu Miaozu autonomous county in Yunnan祿勸
无功不受禄Don't get a reward if it's not deserved. (idiom)無功不受祿
禄丰县Lufeng county in Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture 楚雄彞族自治州|楚雄彝族自治州[Chǔ​xióng​Yí​zú​zì​zhì​zhōu], Yunnan祿豐縣
苏禄old term for Sulawesi or Celebes 苏拉威西蘇祿
禄劝县Luquan Yi and Miao autonomous county in Kunming 昆明[Kūn​míng], Yunnan祿勸縣
无功受禄to get undeserved rewards (idiom)無功受祿
世禄hereditary benefits such as rank and wealth世祿
禄劝彝族苗族自治县Luquan Yi and Miao autonomous county in Kunming 昆明[Kūn​míng], Yunnan祿勸彞族苗族自治縣
李天禄Li Tianlu (1910-1998), Taiwanese master puppeteer李天祿
长生禄位tablet and altar honoring a great benefactor (idiom)長生祿位
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 禄 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 祿

While 祿 refers specifically to blessings and prosperity, 福 encompasses overall good fortune and happiness.