Chinese Character: 碌
1. Character Basics
Radical: 石(shí, stone radical)
Stroke Count: 13
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: lù (Fourth tone) or liù (Fourth tone for some compounds)
3. Meaning
Busy; bustling; diligent; flat stone (archaic); wheel (archaic)
4. Common Words
- 忙碌 (mánglù) - busy; bustling
- 碌碌 (lùlù) - bustling; busy without achievement; ordinary
- 碌碡 (liùzhou) - stone roller (for threshing grain)
- 碌碌无为 (lùlù wúwéi) - busy but with no achievement; ordinary and without accomplishment
- 劳劳碌碌 (láoláo lùlù) - toil and moil; work hard
- 忙忙碌碌 (mángmáng lùlù) - very busy; bustling about
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "碌" is most commonly used in compound words to describe a state of being busy or active. The most frequently used compound is "忙碌" (mánglù), which means "busy" or "bustling". It can also be used reduplicated as "碌碌" (lùlù) to emphasize the state of being busy without significant achievement or to describe something ordinary. In its archaic usage, "碌" refers to a flat stone or wheel, but this meaning is rarely used in modern Chinese.
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the concept of being busy or diligent is often associated with the character "碌". The phrase "碌碌无为" (lùlù wúwéi) is a common idiom that carries a somewhat negative connotation, referring to someone who is busy but achieves little. This reflects the cultural value placed on meaningful accomplishment rather than just busyness for its own sake. The character's origin can be traced back to ancient Chinese, where it originally referred to a stone roller used in agriculture, symbolizing the hard work involved in farming.
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 他每天都忙碌地工作，希望能够取得一些成就，而不是碌碌无为地度过一生。
Pinyin: Tā měitiān dōu mánglù de gōngzuò, xīwàng nénggòu qǔdé yīxiē chéngjiù, ér bùshì lùlù wúwéi de dùguò yīshēng.
English: He works busily every day, hoping to achieve something rather than spend his life in mediocrity.
8. Memory Tips
The character 碌 is composed of 石(stone radical) on the left and 彔(lù) on the right. You can remember this character by associating the stone radical with the hard work symbolized by stones (like the stone roller) and the right part with the sound "lù". Together, they represent the concept of being busy or working hard, which is a common theme in Chinese culture.