线 (xiàn): line, thread
线 (xiàn) is a Chinese character meaning “line, thread.” Classified as HSK Level 4 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 纟 (semantic) and 戋 (phonetic). It ranks #430 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 线 thread. Its radical form 纟 (silk) appears in many related characters such as 系 (xì, to connect), 累 (lèi, tired), 绍 (shào, to continue).
Definitions
- line, thread
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 线 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 线
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 线索noun | xiàn suǒ | trail | 6 |
| 路线noun | lù xiàn | itinerary | 5 |
| 热线noun | rè xiàn | hotline (communications link) | 6 |
| 线路noun | xiàn lù | (electricity) line | 5 |
| 线上noun | xiàn shàng | online | 4 |
| 线下noun | xiàn xià | offline | 4 |
| 光线noun | guāng xiàn | light ray | 5 |
| 在线verb | zài xiàn | online | 5 |
| 占线verb | zhàn xiàn | busy (telephone line) | 5 |
| 下线verb | xià xiàn | to go offline | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 无线电 | wú xiàn diàn | radio |
| 视线noun | shì xiàn | line of sight |
| 底线noun | dǐ xiàn | bottom line |
| 电线noun | diàn xiàn | wire |
| 无线 | wú xiàn | wireless |
| 前线noun | qián xiàn | front line |
| 曲线noun | qū xiàn | curve |
| 直线noun | zhí xiàn | straight line |
| 射线noun | shè xiàn | ray |
| 航线noun | háng xiàn | air or shipping route |
| 电话线 | diàn huà xiàn | telephone line |
| 天线noun | tiān xiàn | antenna |
| 线条noun | xiàn tiáo | line (in drawing, calligraphy etc) |
| 防线noun | fáng xiàn | defensive line or perimeter |
| 内线 | nèi xiàn | inside source |
线 appears in 114 compound words: 11 as the first character, 85 as the last, and 4 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 线 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (17)
Showing 12 of 17 idioms containing 线.
Example Sentences
这条地铁线路经过市中心，是客流量最大的一条。
Zhè tiáo dìtiě xiànlù jīngguò shì zhōngxīn, shì kèliúliàng zuìdà de yì tiáo.
This subway line passes through the city center and has the largest passenger flow.
(图表)欧洲三大股指2月20日全线上涨
( tú biǎo ) ōu zhōu sān dà gǔ zhǐ 2 yuè 2 0 rì quán xiàn shàng zhǎng
(Chart) The three major European stock indexes rose across the board on February 20
(新春走基层)海外订单催热“淡季”生产线 广州南沙..
xīn chūn zǒu jī céng hǎi wài dìng shàn cuī rè dàn jì shēng chǎn xiàn guǎng zhōu nán shā . .
(Chinese New Year) Overseas Orders Heat Up "Off-Season" Production Lines Guangzhou Nansha...
餐饮在线运营商再惠谋求新加坡和香港双重上市:尚未...
cān yǐn zài xiàn yùn yíng shāng zài huì móu qiú xīn jiā pō hé xiāng gǎng shuāng chóng shǎng shì shàng wèi . . .
Restaurant Online Operator Re-Wai Seeks Dual Listing in Singapore and Hong Kong: Not Yet...
来怀柔过大年丨线路三:潮玩电竞闹新春,冰雪运动过大..
lái huái róu guò dà nián 丨 xiàn lù sān cháo wán diàn jìng nào xīn chūn , bīng xuě yùn dòng guò dà . .
The first time I've been to Huairou, I've been to the city, and I've been to the city, and I've been to the city, and I've been to the city, and I've been to the city, and I've been to the city.
原油价格大幅反弹 直线拉升
yuán yóu jiè gé dà fú fǎn dàn zhí xiàn lā shēng
Crude oil prices surge sharply, climbing steeply.
抱歉，地铁几号线去市中心？
Bàoqiàn, dìtiě jǐ hào xiàn qù shìzhōngxīn?
Excuse me, which subway line is to the city centre?
要不要买个无线鼠标呢？
Yàobù yào mǎi gè wúxiàn shǔbiāo ne?
Should I buy a wireless mouse?
鲍勃第一个到达终点线。
Bàobó dì-yī gè dàodá zhōngdiǎnxiàn.
Bob reached the finish line first.
我家和邻居家以院子之间的篱笆为分界线。
Wǒ jiā hé línjū jiā yǐ yuànzi zhījiān de líba wèi fēnjièxiàn.
There is a fence marking the boundary between our yard and the neighbor's.
Character Family
Semantic Family — Characters sharing the 纟 (thread) component
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 线 (xiàn) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 线 and 钱?
How many strokes does 线 have?
What is the radical of 线?
What are the components of 线?
What are common words containing 线?
What characters sound the same as 线 (xiàn)?
Is 线 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 线 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.