How to Write 闾 (lǘ) — Meaning “Gate of a lane; village”

Picture a village gate (门) with two mouths (吕) inside, representing neighbors chatting in the lane. The two mouths stacked inside the gate remind you that 闾 refers to a neighborhood or lane with people living together.

First write the outer radical 门 with three strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, and vertical hook. Then write the inner component 吕, which is two stacked 口 characters, making sure it fits neatly inside the 门. A common mistake is making the 门 too narrow or the 吕 too wide; keep the inner part centered and compact.

All three share the 门 radical, but the inner parts differ: 闾 has 吕 (lane), 闰 has 王 (jade) and means "intercalary month," and 闱 has 韦 (leather) meaning "side door" or "palace gate." Visually, 闾 is the only one with two stacked mouths inside, so the inner shape looks like two small squares.

闾 is a classical character rarely used alone in daily speech. It appears in literary or historical terms like 闾里 (hometown) and 闾巷 (lanes and alleys), often describing village life or one's native place. You might encounter it in poetry or formal writing about traditional neighborhoods.

Common words containing 闾 include: 闾里 (lǘ lǐ) — Hometown; neighborhood; 闾巷 (lǘ xiàng) — Lanes and alleys; neighborhood; 门闾 (mén lǘ) — Gate / Entrance to a lane.