刘 (liú) - A common Chinese surname & to kill, destroy

刘Tone 2

liú ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 刂

林伦

刘 · liú

A common Chinese surname;

to kill, destroy;

a type of ancient battle-axe;

also appears in historical contexts like the Liu Song dynasty.

A common Chinese surnameto kill, destroya type of ancient battle-axe

Usage highlights

Surname LiuLiu BangLiu BeiLiu familyLiu Song dynastyLiu Xiang

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My classmate is named Liu (刘同学).
  • Liu Bang was the founding emperor of the Han dynasty (刘邦).
  • The Liu Song dynasty was a period in Southern Dynasties (刘宋).
  • This is a book about the Liu family (刘氏家族).

Collocations

  • Surname Liu(刘姓)
  • Liu Bang(刘邦)
  • Liu Bei(刘备)
  • Liu family(刘家)
  • Liu Song dynasty(刘宋)
  • Liu Xiang(刘翔)

Idioms

  • Liu Bang's Oath of the White Horse(刘邦白马之盟)
  • Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou—borrow without returning(刘备借荆州)
  • The Liu family's empire(刘家天下)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the most common Chinese surnames, ranking 4th in population.
  • Historically associated with the Han dynasty founder Liu Bang.
  • The character originally meant 'to kill' or referred to a battle-axe, but this meaning is now archaic.

FAQ