類

lèi

class, group, kind, category

Meaning

  • Category or kind: A class or group based on shared characteristics.
  • Similarity or analogy: Used as "similar," "alike," or "of the same sort."
  • Social or moral type: Used to describe people of a certain character or status; this usage often carries a qualitative or judgmental tone rather than a neutral taxonomic one.

Grammar and usage

  • Nominal: The most common use; frequently modified by an adjective ([Adj.] + 類).
  • Attributive/Modifier: When preceding another noun, it typically implies "similar types of..." or "the general class of..."
  • Verbal: Can function as "to classify," "to group," or "to sort." This should be considered if the glyph occupies a predicate position without a clear object.

Distinctions

  • 類 vs. 種 (zhǒng): In technical or philosophical texts, a distinction is often made where 種 refers to innate essence, origin, or biological species (the "seed"), while 類 refers to perceived shared qualities or observable categories. Items may be grouped into a 類 based on function or appearance regardless of their 種.

History and forms

  • Simplified variant: U+7C7B.
  • Semantic variants include U+29516 and U+29517; these are graphical and do not alter the lexical range or grammatical behavior of the glyph.

Translator notes

  • In early philosophical contexts (notably Moist logic), this glyph is the basis for analogy (類比 lèibǐ). If the glyph appears in a grammatically "thin" position where a noun feels forced, test it as a comparative adjective.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.