noun / verb / measure word HSK 4
row · line · to arrange · to list · column
Meaning
列 primarily means a row or line of things arranged in order. It can refer to physical rows (like train cars or people standing in line) or abstract arrangements (like items in a list). As a verb, it means to arrange or list items systematically.
Usage
Commonly used in formal or written contexts when discussing arrangements, schedules, or lists. Often appears in compounds like 列车 (train) and 系列 (series). As a measure word, it's used for counting trains or columns of items.
Examples
- 01请把这些数字按顺序列出来。.Please list these numbers in order.
- 02一列火车从远处驶来。.A train is coming from the distance.
Measure words
- 列一列火车
Common collocations
- 列举to enumerate, to list
- 列车train
- 系列series
- 排列to arrange, arrangement
Origin
The character 列 is composed of 歹 (dǎi, bad/bones) and 刀 (dāo, knife), originally depicting the act of cutting meat into orderly pieces, which evolved to mean arranging things in rows.