类 (lèi) — (noun) category, kind, type; (classifier) classifier for categories or types of things
Definition
类 (lèi) means 'category, kind, type' — use as a noun or measure word for groups. 同类 highlights 'of the same kind', while 类型 and 类别 are more formal nouns for classification.
noun
categorykindtype
classifier
classifier for categories or types of things
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
Examples
- 类。Zhè lèi shāng pǐn hěn shòu huān yíng.This kind of product is very popular.
- 类。Zhè liǎng běn shū bù shǔ tóng yí lèi.These two books do not belong to the same category.
- 类。Dòng wù fēn wéi xǔ duō lèi.Animals are divided into many categories.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 類; 类 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
頪
頪lèi類lèi
Same sound today
The traditional form 類 pairs 犬, which relates to the meaning, with 頪, which gives the sound. The simplified 类 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
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