How to write 来 (lái, “to come”)
来 (lái), an HSK 1 character, means “to come”, “used” and “hither”. The traditional form is 來, 8 strokes instead of 7. Dictionaries list it under the radical 木 (“tree”). On its own it is an HSK 1 word; it also forms 上来 (“to come up”), 下来 (“to come down”) and 出来 (“to come out”). Japanese reads it rai, “come”, as a JLPT N5 kanji.
- Pinyin
- lái
- Strokes
- 7
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 木 (“tree”)
- Traditional
- 來
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
As an overlapping character it splits into 未 (“not yet”), strokes 1 and 4–7; 丷 (“"eight" component in Chinese characters”), strokes 2–3, written with the strokes of the parts interleaved.
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and right → down and left
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdown and left
- Right-falling stroke ㇏centerdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 7 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Traditional form
- Simplified
- 来 · 7 strokes
- Traditional
- 來 · 8 strokes · see its strokes
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| lái second tone | to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来 (huílai)); ever since (as in 自古以来 (zìgǔyǐlái)); for the past (amount of time) | 來 | 上来 出来 过来 进来 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 284 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 来
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 来 來 | lái | to come; used as a substitute for a more specific verb HSK 1 |
| 上来 上來 | shànglái | to come up; to approach HSK 2 |
| 下来 下來 | xiàlái | to come down; completed action marker HSK 2 |
| 出来 出來 | chūlái | to come out; to appear HSK 2 |
| 回来 回來 | huílái | to return; to come back HSK 2 |
| 起来 起來 | qǐlái | to stand up; to get up HSK 2 |
| 过来 過來 | guòlái | to come over; to manage HSK 2 |
| 进来 進來 | jìnlái | to come in HSK 2 |
| 后来 後來 | hòulái | afterwards; later HSK 3 |
| 看来 看來 | kànlái | apparently; it seems that HSK 3 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.
Keep going
HSK 1, in list order: