略 (lüè) is a Chinese character meaning “brief”. It is written from 田 (field; farmland) and 各 (each; every), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “brief; to omit”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
田 + 各
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：略，经略土地也。从田各声。现代字形经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（田5画 + 各6画 = 11画）
Memory aid
Mark out each (各) field (田) with a few quick lines — just the rough plan, the details left out.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 省略shěng lüèto omit; to leave out略 = lüè
- 战略zhàn lüèstrategy略 = lüè
Go deeper
All readings
brief; to omit; strategy
brief; rough; slightly; to omit; plan; strategy
简单、不详细；省去；计划、谋略。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 省略shěng lüèto omit; to leave out略 = lüè
- 战略zhàn lüèstrategy略 = lüè
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 略 mean?
略 (lüè) means brief; rough; slightly; to omit; plan; strategy.
How do you pronounce 略?
It is pronounced lüè.
What parts is 略 made of?
田 (field; farmland) and 各 (each; every), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：略，经略土地也。从田各声。现代字形经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（田5画 + 各6画 = 11画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 略 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 略?
田. 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 略?
Common ones are 省略 and 战略. The reading of 略 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.