The character 立 — “stand”: how to write it and what it means
stand; set up
The Chinese character 立 is read lì and means “stand; set up”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 立
立 has 5 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 立, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 立 is made of
Originally a drawing of a person standing on the ground.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 立
- 立刻right awayHSK 5
- 立即immediatelyHSK 5
- 独立independent; independentlyHSK 5
- 成立found, establishHSK 5
- 设立set up, establishHSK 5
- 建立establish, set upHSK 5
- 创立found (a theory, a party)HSK 6
- 确立establish, affirmHSK 6
- 树立build (an image), set (an example)HSK 6
- 立场position, standpointHSK 6
- 对立oppose; opposingHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 立?
立 has 5 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 立 mean?
立 means “stand; set up”. It appears in 立刻 (“right away”), 立即 (“immediately”), 独立 (“independent”), 成立 (“found”).
How do you pronounce 立?
立 is read lì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 立 have?
5 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 立 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.
Start for free