線

简 线 · 繁 線
Mandarin · pinyin xiàn

Meanings

  1. thread
  2. string
  3. wire
  4. line
  5. Classifier: 條 tiáo, 股 gǔ, 根 gēn
  6. (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)
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Characters in this entry

線
Look up this written character
线
xiàn · line, thread, wire; clue
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4 · xian4

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Connected dictionary

1character link40same-tone records3source references
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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

線 · find source passages ↗ · 线 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

sin3

Cantonese word readings for 線. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

  1. thread
  2. thread-like object; wire; line; string; ray
  3. (geometry) line
  4. route; path; line
  5. demarcation line; boundary; border; brink
  6. clue; sign
  7. secret agent
  8. ideological or political line
  9. plotline
  10. (Singapore, computing) network connection
  11. (Hong Kong) lane (of a road or swimming pool)
  12. Classifier for for abstract nouns or numerals indicating few or little.
  13. a surname

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

線 · xian4
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 86,644
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record線 线 [xian4] /thread/string/wire/line/CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3],根[gen1]/(after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)/