列
Meaning in Englishline, row, queue
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
What does 列 mean? It denotes a line or row of items arranged in order, a queue or sequence, and by extension a category or grouping within a larger set. In everyday usage it functions as a generic noun for a linear arrangement and appears in contexts of order or alignment, including rows, columns, and ordered series.
Main meanings
- Order and arrangement in space: physical lines of objects or people
- Sequential progression or chronology
- Column or file in a table or matrix
- In compounds it forms terms denoting grouped formations (for example lines or groups like archipelago or train contexts)
How to use it
Used as a noun in formal writing to denote a line or column; in everyday language it appears in phrases describing formation and order, and in compounds like 整列, 行列, 列車, and 列島 to convey related concepts of lineup, sequence, and grouping.
Variants and close terms
- 並び narabi — lining up
- gyōretsu — line or procession; matrix
- seiretsu — orderly formation
- sanran — disorder (antonym)
- rettō — archipelago
Etymology
on'yomi (retsu) from Chinese liè; historical phonetic shifts in Japanese phonology adapted the sound to retsu. kun'yomi narabu exists as a native verb sense related to lining up, but the standalone kanji reading is primarily retsu in compounds.
Origin
Kanji introduction to Japan came with Chinese influence in the 5th–6th centuries, enabling the representation of concepts like line, row, and sequence in written Japanese; over time it became a common character in Sino-Japanese vocabulary.
Word class
Noun (名詞)