The character 历 — “go through”: how to write it and what it means

历
lì

go through; calendar

4 strokes · HSK 3

The Chinese character 历 is read lì and means “go through; calendar”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 历

历 has 4 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 历, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 历 is made of

Inside, 力 lì 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 历

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 历?

历 has 4 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 历 mean?

历 means “go through; calendar”. It appears in 历史 (“history”), 经历 (“go through”), 日历 (“calendar”), 简历 (“résumé”).

How do you pronounce 历?

历 is read lì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 历 have?

4 strokes.

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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 历 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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