类 (lèi): kind; type; class

Meanings

1 kind; type; class
2 category; sort

Characters

类

lèi

kind; type; category; similar

Examples

HSK 1

你喜欢哪一类电影？

Nǐ xǐhuan nǎ yī lèi diànyǐng?

What type of movies do you like?

HSK 2

这类问题很常见。

Zhèlèi wèntí hěn chángjiàn.

This type of problem is very common.

HSK 3

人类需要保护环境。

Rénlèi xūyào bǎohù huánjìng.

Humanity needs to protect the environment.

Tips

usage

类 works like a measure word for categories: 这类 (this type), 那类 (that type), 各类 (all types), 同类 (same type).

Components

radical

米 mǐ

rice (radical)

Top rice radical - the indexing radical, depicting grains scattered around a cross. In simplified 类 the 米 stands in for the more complex 頪 of traditional 類. Rice grains, when sorted, fall into kinds - a natural picture of "category, type." Same radical fronts 粒, 粉, 糖, 糟.

semantic

大 dà

big (semantic substitute)

Bottom 大 - replaces traditional 頁 (head/page) under 米 in the simplified form. 大 here is more graphic filler than meaning-carrier, but loosely evokes "a big sorted pile" of grain. The reform aimed for easy strokes; the original "sort-by-head" image of 頪+頁 was sacrificed for writeability.