vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1066-221 BC) in modern day Shandong Province
nr, 12 strokes, radical 鱼, rank #4378, Hard
鲁
Lǔ
crass
nr, 12 strokes, radical 鱼, rank #4378, Hard
鲁
Lǔ
stupid
nr, 12 strokes, radical 鱼, rank #4378, Hard
鲁
Lǔ
rude
nr, 12 strokes, radical 鱼, rank #4378, Hard
鲁
Lǔ
foolish, stupid, rash; vulgar
nr, 12 strokes, radical 鱼, rank #4378, Hard
鲁
Lǔ
Shandong Province 山東省|山东省[Shan1 dong1 Sheng3]
unknown, 12 strokes, radical 鱼, rank #4378, Hard
Lǔ(Lu3) T3
1Shandong Province 山東省
2>山东省[Shān dōng Shěng]
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
鲁(魯)Lǔ(Lu3)
鲁 (Lǔ) primarily serves as a surname and refers to Shandong Province in China. Additionally, it describes characteristics such as being crass, foolish, or rude, often used in a derogatory context. The character has historical significance as it represents an ancient vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty.
Strokes12Radical鱼Frequency#4378DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
鲁 is closely associated with Confucius, who was born in Qufu, Shandong Province. This connection highlights the region's cultural significance in Chinese philosophy and education.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'Rude Lu' at a banquet, spilling food everywhere and making a mess. The character 鲁 looks somewhat like a person fumbling with food, reminding you of the meaning of being foolish or crass. The pronunciation 'Lǔ' can be remembered as the sound of someone rudely laughing.
Meanings of 鲁
Lǔ(Lu3)
1Shandong Province 山東省
2vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1066-221 BC) in modern day Shandong Province
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 鲁
鲁Simplified
魯Traditional
12Strokes
鱼Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#4378Frequency Rank
Podcast: 鲁
Podcast: 鲁
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 鲁
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a 'Rude Lu' at a banquet, spilling food everywhere and making a mess. The character 鲁 looks somewhat like a person fumbling with food, reminding you of the meaning of being foolish or crass. The pronunciation 'Lǔ' can be remembered as the sound of someone rudely laughing.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 鲁 with similar characters that have different meanings or tones. It’s informal when used in the context of describing someone's behavior as foolish or crass. Common collocations include 鲁莽 (lǔmǎng - reckless) and 鲁人 (Lǔrén - people from Lu).
HSK Study Tips
While 鲁 is not specifically categorized in HSK levels, it connects with vocabulary related to regions and historical concepts. Focus on its usage in describing behaviors and its historical context to enhance understanding of Chinese culture.
Cultural Note
鲁 is closely associated with Confucius, who was born in Qufu, Shandong Province. This connection highlights the region's cultural significance in Chinese philosophy and education.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 鲁 with other characters with similar tones or meanings, such as 露 (lù - dew) or 鹿 (lù - deer). Remember, 鲁 specifically conveys meanings related to foolishness or the Shandong region.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 鲁
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 鲁 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Simplified form of 魯. Phonosemantic compound. 甘 represents the meaning and 魚 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "tasty". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 鲁 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 鲁
鲁 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 9 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
我拒绝接受帮助的时候时常显得粗____无礼。
I was often rude and ungracious in refusing help.
Example Sentences for 鲁 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我拒绝接受帮助的时候时常显得粗鲁无礼。
wǒ jù jué jiē shòu bāng zhù de shí hòu shí cháng xiǎn dé cū lǔ wú lǐ。
I was often rude and ungracious in refusing help.
2
我接触到一些非常聪明的哈佛和耶鲁的学生。
wǒ jiē chù dào yī xiē fēi cháng cōng míng de hā fó hé yé lǔ de xué shēng。
I came into contact with very bright Harvard and Yale students.
3
发电站烧的煤产自鲁尔地区。
fā diàn zhàn shāo de méi chǎn zì lǔ ěr dì qū。
The power stations burn coal from the Ruhr region.
4
安德鲁注意到她在愣神，便问道：“你怎么啦？”
ān dé lǔ zhù yì dào tā zài lèng shén， ， biàn wèn：“ dào ：“ nǐ zěn？”
Andrew noticed her abstraction and asked, "What's bothering you?"
It seemed a singularly ill-judged enterprise for Truman to undertake.
8
我去布鲁克斯兄弟专卖店给自己买了一件体面的衬衫。
wǒ qù bù lǔ kè sī xiōng dì zhuān mài diàn gěi zì jǐ mǎi le yī jiàn tǐ miàn de chèn shān。
I went to Brooks Brothers and bought myself a decent shirt.
9
布鲁斯·斯普林斯汀重新组建了他的音乐团队，E街乐队。
bù lǔ sī· · sī pǔ lín sī tīng zhòng xīn zǔ jiàn le tā de yīn lè tuán，E duì ，E jiē。
Bruce Springsteen has re-hired his muso collective, the E Street Band.
10
他出生在布鲁克林的弗拉特布什一带，并在那儿长大成人。
tā chū shēng zài bù lǔ kè lín de fú lā tè bù shí yī dài， ， bìng zài nà ér cháng dà chéng。
He was born and grew up in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn.
Cultural Notes for 鲁
🏮Cultural insight
鲁 is closely associated with Confucius, who was born in Qufu, Shandong Province. This connection highlights the region's cultural significance in Chinese philosophy and education.
Word Family of 鲁
Compounds4
橹lu3oar, scull; to row, to scull
撸lu1to reprimand; to fire an employee
镥lu3lutetium
氇lu5thick rough serge from Tibet
Words Containing This Character18
鲁Lǔsurname Lu魯
鲁迅Lu Xun (1881-1936), one of the earliest and best-known modern Chinese writers魯迅
粗鲁cūlǔcoarse粗魯
秘鲁Peru秘魯
乌鲁木齐Ürümqi or Urumqi prefecture level city and capital of Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region 新疆維吾爾自治區|新疆维吾尔自治区 in west China烏魯木齊
布鲁克林Brooklyn, borough of New York City布魯克林
布鲁斯blues (music) (loanword)布魯斯
耶鲁Yale耶魯
赫鲁晓夫Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), secretary-general of Soviet Communist Party 1953-1964赫魯曉夫
鲁莽lǔmǎnghot-headed魯莽
安德鲁Andrew (name)安德魯
格鲁吉亚Georgia (country)格魯吉亞
齐鲁abbr. for Shandong culture齊魯
布鲁塞尔Brussels, capital of Belgium布魯塞爾
贝鲁特Beirut, capital of Lebanon貝魯特
布鲁克Brook (name)布魯克
乌鲁木齐市Ürümqi or Urumqi prefecture level city and capital of Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region 新疆維吾爾自治區|新疆维吾尔自治区[XīnjiāngWéiwú'ěrZìzhìqū] in west China烏魯木齊市
耶鲁大学Yale University耶魯大學
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 橹 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 鲁
鲁 refers to a vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty, recognized for its cultural and philosophical contributions.
Yes, 鲁 is a recognized Chinese surname, though it is less common than others like Wang or Li.
Generally, 鲁 has negative connotations when describing behavior, though it can be used neutrally when referring to geographic or historical contexts.
