Chinese Character: 列
1. Character Basics
Radical: 刂 (dāo, knife radical)
Stroke Count: 6
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: liè (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
To arrange in a row; list; column; rank; series; line up; enumerate; categorize; queue; file; array; order; sequence; classify
4. Common Words
- 列表 (lièbiǎo) - list; table
- 排列 (páiliè) - to arrange; to line up
- 序列 (xùliè) - sequence; series
- 列举 (lièjǔ) - to enumerate; to list
- 队列 (duìliè) - queue; line
- 列车 (lièchē) - train
- 列入 (lièrù) - to include; to list
- 数列 (shùliè) - sequence of numbers; number series
5. Grammar & Usage
"列" is often used as a verb meaning "to arrange in a row" or "to list". It can also function as a noun referring to a "row", "list" or "column".
Common structures include "排列" (to arrange), "列举" (to enumerate), and "列入" (to include in a list).
In formal contexts, it's used in terms like "列车" (train) and "队列" (queue).
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the concept of "列" (order and arrangement) has historical significance in areas like military formation, bureaucratic organization, and social hierarchy.
The character is associated with ideas of structure, organization, and systematic arrangement, which are valued in traditional Chinese thought.
The evolution of "列" from its ancient pictographic form reflects the importance of order and structure in early Chinese society.
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 请把这些名字列在一张表上。
Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ zhèxiē míngzì liè zài yī zhāng biǎo shàng.
English: Please list these names on a table.
8. Memory Tips
The character "列" consists of 歹 (bad/evil) on the left and 刀 (knife) on the right.
You can remember it as "arranging bad things with a knife" or simply visualize items being neatly arranged in a row.
The stroke order is simple: start with the top horizontal stroke, then the vertical, then the撇 (pie), 点 (dian), and finally the two strokes of the knife radical.