律
lǜ
law, pitch
At a glance · 律

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

律 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 律 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 律 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 律 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 律 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 律 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

律字小篆从彳聿声,为形声字;本义为律管、法度,亦指音律。甲骨文未见。

What the sketch shows

律 Object sketch

Origins & notes

律本义为律管、法则,亦指音乐之律。

Structure

形声字,左部『彳』为意符表行走规范,右部『聿』为声符。

At a glance

Pinyinlǜ
Radical彳
Strokes9
UnicodeU+5F8B
Character type形声
Theme礼乐

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English law, pitch Lü is a phonetic-semantic character meaning law, rule and musical pitch.
Français loi, ton Lü est un caractère phonético-sémantique signifiant loi, règle et ton musical.
Español ley, tono Lü es un carácter fonosemántico que significa ley, regla y tono musical.
العربية قانون، نغمة لǜ حرف صوتي دلالي يعني القانون والقاعدة والنغمة الموسيقية.
Русский закон, тон Люй — фоносемантический знак, означающий закон, правило и музыкальный тон.

Common words

  • 法律fǎ lǜlaw
  • 规律guī lǜrule