录 (lù) is a Chinese character meaning “to record”. It is written from 彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right) and 氺 (water (form used at the bottom of a character)), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to record”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
彐 + 氺
Top–bottom structure
- 彐 snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right · jì unknown
- 氺 water (form used at the bottom of a character) · shuǐ unknown
Structure from: 现代简化字形 IDS 拆分 ⿱彐氺，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 位于上部，与「彐」三笔逐笔对应；笔画 3–7 位于下部，与「氺」五笔逐笔对应（3+5=8 画）。仅记录现代构形，不含字源结论。
Memory aid
A hand-like block (彐) clamps down on the water running below it (氺). Freeze the flow and keep it — that is what it means to record.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 录音lù yīnto record sound; a recording录 = lù
- 记录jì lùto write down; a record录 = lù
Go deeper
All readings
to record
to record; to write down; to copy down; a written record
把声音、文字或事情记下来；也指记下来的材料。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 录音lù yīnto record sound; a recording录 = lù
- 记录jì lùto write down; a record录 = lù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 录 mean?
录 (lù) means to record; to write down; to copy down; a written record.
How do you pronounce 录?
It is pronounced lù.
What parts is 录 made of?
彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right) and 氺 (water (form used at the bottom of a character)), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代简化字形 IDS 拆分 ⿱彐氺，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 位于上部，与「彐」三笔逐笔对应；笔画 3–7 位于下部，与「氺」五笔逐笔对应（3+5=8 画）。仅记录现代构形，不含字源结论。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 录 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 录?
彐. 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 录?
Common ones are 录音 and 记录. The reading of 录 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.