率

• Pinyin: lǜ
• Hanzi breakdown: 率 = complex character; originally depicted a net (suggesting mesh/ratio); now used as suffix for rate/ratio

Meaning

Rate; ratio; proportion. Used as a suffix to form compound words expressing statistical measures or percentages.

Extremely productive as a suffix in formal and technical language. Common compounds: 成功率 (success rate), 利率 (interest rate), 出勤率 (attendance rate), 死亡率 (mortality rate), 增长率 (growth rate), 失业率 (unemployment rate). Essential vocabulary for economics, statistics, and policy.

Examples

1. 该城市今年的经济增长率达到百分之六点八，超过了年初制定的预期目标。 This city’s economic growth rate reached 6.8% this year, exceeding the expected target set at the beginning of the year.
2. 研究显示，规律运动能显著降低心血管疾病的发病率和死亡率。 Studies show that regular exercise can significantly reduce the incidence and mortality rates of cardiovascular disease.
3. 这所高校的毕业生就业率连续五年保持在百分之九十五以上。 This university’s graduate employment rate has stayed above 95% for five consecutive years.

Usage Guide

Context: statistics, economics, science, policy, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 央行宣布下调基准利率零点二五个百分点，以刺激经济增长。(The central bank announced a 0.25 percentage point cut in the benchmark interest rate to stimulate economic growth.)
• 这款新疫苗在临床试验中展现出极高的有效率，保护效果令人鼓舞。(This new vaccine demonstrated an extremely high efficacy rate in clinical trials, and the protective effect is encouraging.)

Don't Say

• 将率单独使用来表示百分比 — 率 is a suffix, not a standalone word for percentage; use 百分比 or 百分率 for 'percentage' and attach 率 to a specific noun to form the compound

Origin & History

率 = originally a pictograph of a net with its knots, extended to mean proportion or ratio by analogy

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal