The character 线 — “thread”: how to write it and what it means
thread, line
The Chinese character 线 is read xiàn and means “thread, line”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 线
线 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 线, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 线 is made of
On the left, 纟 “thread”. 线上 — “on the line”, that is, online.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 线
- 线上onlineHSK 4
- 线下offlineHSK 4
- 占线busy (of a phone line)HSK 5
- 路线routeHSK 5
- 线路line, routeHSK 5
- 在线onlineHSK 5
- 光线light, lightingHSK 5
- 热线hotlineHSK 6
- 下线go offline; take off the marketHSK 6
- 线索clue, lead (in an investigation)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 线?
线 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 线 mean?
线 means “thread, line”. It appears in 线上 (“online”), 线下 (“offline”), 占线 (“busy”), 路线 (“route”).
How do you pronounce 线?
线 is read xiàn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 线 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 线 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