律 (lǜ) is a Chinese character meaning “law”. It is written from 彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 聿 (writing brush), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “law; rule”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
彳 + 聿
Left–right structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（⿰彳聿），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：左「彳」3 画 + 右「聿」6 画 = 9 画；「彳」是表示行走、行事的偏旁，「聿」在此处按声符处理，但今读 lǜ 与 聿 yù 声母已分化。只描述今形构成，不追溯上古来源。
Memory aid
A brush (聿) writes down how everyone must walk (彳) — the steps you are required to follow. That is 律, a rule.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 法律fǎ lǜlaw; statute律 = lǜ
- 规律guī lǜa pattern; a regularity; regular律 = lǜ
- 菲律宾Fēi lǜ bīnthe Philippines律 = lǜ
Go deeper
All readings
law; rule
law; statute; rule; also: rhythm or metre in music and poetry
法则；规章。也指音乐、诗歌中的节奏格式。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 法律fǎ lǜlaw; statute律 = lǜ
- 规律guī lǜa pattern; a regularity; regular律 = lǜ
- 菲律宾Fēi lǜ bīnthe Philippines律 = lǜ
Sound component
聿 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 律 mean?
律 (lǜ) means law; statute; rule; also: rhythm or metre in music and poetry.
How do you pronounce 律?
It is pronounced lǜ.
What parts is 律 made of?
彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 聿 (writing brush), side by side. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（⿰彳聿），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：左「彳」3 画 + 右「聿」6 画 = 9 画；「彳」是表示行走、行事的偏旁，「聿」在此处按声符处理，但今读 lǜ 与 聿 yù 声母已分化。只描述今形构成，不追溯上古来源。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 律 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 律?
彳. 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 律?
Common ones are 法律 and 规律. The reading of 律 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.