The character 例 — “example”: how to write it and what it means
example
The Chinese character 例 is read lì and means “example”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 例
例 has 8 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 例, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 例 is made of
On the left, 亻 “person”; on the right, 列 liè hints at the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 例
- 例子exampleHSK 4
- 举例give an exampleHSK 4
- 例如for exampleHSK 4
- 比例proportion, ratioHSK 5
- 案例case (from practice), case studyHSK 6
- 例外exception; be an exceptionHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 例?
例 has 8 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 例 mean?
例 means “example”. It appears in 例子 (“example”), 举例 (“give an example”), 例如 (“for example”), 比例 (“proportion”).
How do you pronounce 例?
例 is read lì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 例 have?
8 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 例 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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