侣 (lǚ) is a Chinese character meaning “companion”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 吕 (two mouths stacked; a pitch-pipe name (also a surname)), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “companion”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
亻 + 吕
Left–right structure
- 亻 person (the form 人 takes on the left) · rén meaning
- 吕 two mouths stacked; a pitch-pipe name (also a surname) · lǚ sound
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰亻吕；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–2 为 亻，笔画 3–8 与 吕 逐笔对应）
Memory aid
A person (亻) standing beside 吕 — two mouths, one above the other, talking back and forth. Someone you keep talking with is your companion.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 伴侣bàn lǚlife partner; companion侣 = lǚ
Go deeper
All readings
companion
companion; partner; someone who goes together with you
同伴；伴侣，一起生活或同行的人。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 伴侣bàn lǚlife partner; companion侣 = lǚ
Sound component
吕 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 侣 mean?
侣 (lǚ) means companion; partner; someone who goes together with you.
How do you pronounce 侣?
It is pronounced lǚ.
What parts is 侣 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 吕 (two mouths stacked; a pitch-pipe name (also a surname)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰亻吕；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–2 为 亻，笔画 3–8 与 吕 逐笔对应）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 侣 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 侣?
亻. 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 侣?
Common ones are 伴侣. The reading of 侣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.