刘 (liú) — surname Liu

Definition

noun
surname Liu
Easily confused

Examples

  • 刘。
    liú Xiān sheng shì wǒ men de lǎo shī.
    Mr. Liu is our teacher.
  • 刘。
    Wǒ rèn shi yí gè xìng liú de péng you.
    I know a friend whose surname is Liu.
  • 刘。
    liú Wěi shì zhù míng de zuò jiā.
    Liu Wei is a famous writer.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 劉; 刘 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
卯
卯mǎo劉Liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 劉 pairs 金 (metal) with 刀 or 刂 (knife), with 卯 giving the sound; the simplified 刘 is a later shorthand.

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