缕

• Pinyin: lǚ
• Hanzi breakdown: 缕 = 纟(thread/silk radical) + 娄 (phonetic component indicating thin, continuous strands)

Meaning

A strand, thread, or wisp. Used as a measure word for thin, continuous, or filamentous things such as smoke, hair, sunshine, and thread.

Literary and poetic in register. Common collocations: 一缕青烟 (a wisp of smoke), 一缕阳光 (a ray of sunlight), 一缕头发 (a strand of hair), 一缕幽香 (a hint of fragrance). The word evokes delicacy, continuity, and refinement.

Examples

1. 清晨的第一缕阳光透过窗帘的缝隙洒落在地板上，为寂静的房间带来了温暖的气息。 The first ray of morning sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains and fell onto the floor, bringing warmth to the quiet room.
2. 远处的山村炊烟袅袅，一缕缕轻烟在山间缓缓升腾，勾勒出一幅宁静的田园画卷。 In the distant mountain village, cooking smoke curled upward; thin wisps rose slowly through the hills, sketching a peaceful countryside scene.
3. 她轻轻拨开额前那缕散落的头发，抬起头来凝视着窗外阴沉的天空。 She gently brushed aside the loose strand of hair on her forehead, lifted her head, and stared at the gloomy sky outside the window.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, poetry, descriptive writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 一缕幽香从花园中飘来，令人心旷神怡。(A hint of delicate fragrance drifted in from the garden, filling the heart with joy and serenity.)
• 她的思绪如同一缕游丝，随着往昔的记忆飘向远方。(Her thoughts drifted like a wisp of floating thread, carried away on the currents of distant memories.)

Don't Say

• 将缕用于粗大的物体 — 缕 is only used for thin, fine, or wispy things; do not use it as a measure word for thick ropes, large objects, or non-filamentous materials

Origin & History

缕 = 纟(thread radical) + 娄 (phonetic component) — thin threads or strands of something

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal