How to Write 胪 (lú) — Meaning “to state; to list”

Imagine the left part 月 as a person's chest, and the right part 卢 as a list of numbers written on a tablet held against that chest. This visual combines the body meaning with the idea of listing or stating something. Alternatively, think of "Loo" (sound like 卢) as a place where you might read a list of rules posted on the wall.

Notice that the left radical 月 is written with a narrow, vertical shape, and its first stroke is a vertical left-falling stroke (丿), not a vertical line. The right side 卢 has a short horizontal stroke at the top, then a left-falling stroke (丿) inside, and finally the horizontal stroke at the bottom. A common mistake is making the left 月 too wide or confusing the inside of 卢 with the character 户 (door).

胪 (lú) has the 月 radical on the left and 卢 on the right, meaning "to list" or "chest." 朊 (ruǎn) also has 月 on the left but has 元 (yuán) on the right, and it means "protein" or an archaic term for a certain organ. 朋 (péng) looks like two 月 side by side and means "friend" — it has no connection to meat or listing. Visually, 胪 is more complex with 9 strokes, while 朊 has 8 and 朋 has 8.

胪 is not common in everyday speech but appears in formal or literary contexts. The word 胪列 (lú liè) means "to list in order" and is used in academic or legal writing. The historical term 传胪 (chuán lú) refers to the fourth-ranked scholar in the imperial exams, an important part of Chinese examination culture. You may also encounter 胸胪 (xiōng lú) in medical or anatomical texts meaning "chest" or "thorax."

Common words containing 胪 include: 胪列 (lú liè) — to list; to enumerate; 传胪 (chuán lú) — Chuanlu (the title for the candidate ranked fourth in the final imperial examination).; 胸胪 (xiōng lú) — chest; thorax.