刘 (liú) is a Chinese character meaning “Liu — one of the most common Chinese family names”. It is written from 文 (writing; script; culture) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “Liu (surname)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
文 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形笔画切分（hanzi-writer-data 核验：第1–4笔 点、横、撇、捺 = 文，第5–6笔 竖、竖钩 = 刂）
Memory aid
Writing (文) on the left, the standing knife (刂) on the right — picture a name being carved: 刘, one of China's most common family names. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 刘海liú hǎibangs; fringe (of hair)刘 = liú
- 刘备liú bèiLiu Bei (161–223), founder of the Shu Han state in the Three Kingdoms period刘 = liú
Go deeper
All readings
Liu (surname)
Liu — one of the most common Chinese family names
常见姓氏。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刘海liú hǎibangs; fringe (of hair)刘 = liú
- 刘备liú bèiLiu Bei (161–223), founder of the Shu Han state in the Three Kingdoms period刘 = liú
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刘 mean?
刘 (liú) means Liu — one of the most common Chinese family names.
How do you pronounce 刘?
It is pronounced liú.
What parts is 刘 made of?
文 (writing; script; culture) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形笔画切分（hanzi-writer-data 核验：第1–4笔 点、横、撇、捺 = 文，第5–6笔 竖、竖钩 = 刂）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 刘 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刘?
刂. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 刘?
Common ones are 刘海 and 刘备. The reading of 刘 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.