How to write 例 (lì) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice

lì precedent, example, case; regulation 8 strokes · Radical 亻 (man) · HSK 4 required writing character

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced lì.

precedent
example
case
regulation

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

例 — 8 strokes, numbered in writing order. 笔顺图（数字为下笔顺序）。

Decomposition

例 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Left + Right. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

例 =

亻 left man

列 right a line

Radical

The radical of 例 is 亻 — meaning man. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

Other HSK 4 characters that share this radical: 保任使倒低俩份停傲倍付傅.

How the character is built

例 is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic component 亻 (person) carries the meaning, while the phonetic component 列 originally indicated the sound.

HSK 4 Words Containing 例

举例 jǔlì to give an example

老师举例说明了这个语法点。

Lǎoshī jǔlì shuōmíng le zhège yǔfǎ diǎn.

The teacher gave examples to explain this grammar point.

例如 lìrú for example; such as

中国有很多节日，例如春节和中秋节。

Zhōngguó yǒu hěn duō jiérì, lìrú Chūnjié hé Zhōngqiūjié.

China has many holidays, such as Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

例子 lìzi example; instance

请你举一个例子。

Qǐng nǐ jǔ yí gè lìzi.

Please give an example.

Seen in the Real Exams / 真题例句

例 appears in 1 question across the 19 mock & official HSK 4 exams on this site. Real exam sentences using it:

例如一个人梦到很多水，说明他将会有很大一笔收入。

From Mock Exam 14 →

Tasks Featuring 例 / 相关任务

Words containing 例 appear in these official HSK 4 task scenarios — study the character in context:

📚 介绍常见俗语、名言

Proverbs & Sayings · 举例、例如、例子

FAQ

What does 例 mean in Chinese?

例 (lì) means precedent, example, case; regulation. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.

How many strokes does 例 have?

例 is written in 8 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 例?

The radical of 例 is 亻 (man). Other HSK 4 characters with the same radical include 保, 任, 使, 倒, 低.

What is the pinyin for 例?

例 is pronounced lì.

What HSK 4 words use 例?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 例 appears in 3 words, including 举例 (jǔlì), 例如 (lìrú), 例子 (lìzi). See the full list above.