About
The character "刘" originated as a verb meaning to kill or slaughter, a sense embedded in its traditional form "劉" where the component "刂" represents a knife and "卯" likely provided phonetic guidance, together implying an action performed with a blade. Over time, this literal meaning receded from common language, and the character became almost exclusively used as a surname, shedding its verbal associations in modern Chinese. The structural evolution from "劉" to "刘" replaced the phonetic element "卯" with "文", while the knife radical "刂" was preserved, maintaining a visual link to its etymological roots even as the character's functional meaning shifted entirely.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我认识刘先生。
刘小姐在看书。
刘经理正在开会。
刘备是历史人物。
刘教练教我们游泳。
刘氏家族来自中国。
刘作家写了很多小说。
刘博士研究了这个问题。