吕 (lǚ) is a Chinese character meaning “a Chinese family name (Lü)”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 口 (mouth), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “the family name Lü”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 口
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 6 笔核验：3+3）
Memory aid
Two boxes (口) stacked up: a small one on top, a wider one below. Same shape twice — like two people of the same family, one generation above the other. 吕 is a Chinese family name.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 吕布Lǚ BùLü Bu (famous general of the late Han dynasty)吕 = lǚ
- 吕剧lǚ jùLü opera, a local opera style from Shandong吕 = lǚ
Go deeper
All readings
Lü (surname)
a Chinese family name (Lü); (classical) one of the pitch-pipes of ancient Chinese music
姓氏用字。古代也指音律中的阴律，与「律」合称「律吕」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 吕布Lǚ BùLü Bu (famous general of the late Han dynasty)吕 = lǚ
- 吕剧lǚ jùLü opera, a local opera style from Shandong吕 = lǚ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 吕 mean?
吕 (lǚ) means a Chinese family name (Lü); (classical) one of the pitch-pipes of ancient Chinese music.
How do you pronounce 吕?
It is pronounced lǚ.
What parts is 吕 made of?
口 (mouth) and 口 (mouth), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 6 笔核验：3+3）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 吕 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 吕?
口. 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 吕?
Common ones are 吕布 and 吕剧. The reading of 吕 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.