路 (lù) means "road, path" with 13 strokes, radical 足 (foot), HSK 2 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: road
Other meanings:
- path
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
路 does not appear in oracle bone script. It is a phono-semantic compound that emerged in bronze and seal script, combining 足 (foot) as the semantic component with 各 as the phonetic component. The 足 radical indicates something walked upon, while 各 supplied the Old Chinese pronunciation close to *g-rˤak.
Form evolution
In bronze and seal script the character shows a clear 足 on the left and 各 on the right, with 足 drawn as a recognisable foot above a stylised leg. Clerical script flattened the foot component into the modern 足 shape with its characteristic hook, and regular script fixed the proportions so 各 sits compactly beside it. The character has remained structurally stable since Han times and is identical in simplified and traditional writing.
How the meaning evolved
The earliest attested meaning is a road or track wide enough for a cart, distinguished in classical texts from narrower 径 (path) and wider 道 (way). By the Han period it had extended to mean route, method, or the course of something, and later to abstract senses like 思路 (train of thought) and 路线 (line, policy). Modern Mandarin keeps all these layers, from literal streets to metaphorical approaches.
Cultural note
The idiom 条条大路通罗马 (all roads lead to Rome) is a modern calque, but classical Chinese has its own equivalent in 殊途同归 (different roads, same destination). Learners often confuse 路 with 道 and 街; a rough rule is that 路 is the generic word for a road, 街 is a commercial street with shops, and 道 carries philosophical weight.
Mnemonic
Each foot goes its way — a road
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | lù |
| Meanings | road, path |
| Stroke count | 13 strokes |
| Radical | 足 (#157: foot) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 2 |
| Frequency | #468 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 路
Related characters
On the new HSK 2 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.