Chinese symbol for “thread”
线
xiàn
Traditional: 線
thread; string; wire; line
The closest CC-CEDICT match for thread is 线 (xiàn), defined as: thread; string; wire; line; 条 (tiáo),股 (gǔ),根 (gēn); (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Traditional forms
Other Chinese words for “thread”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 纫 (紉) | rèn | to thread (a needle); (bound form) to sew; to stitch |
| 穿 | chuān | to bore through; to pierce; to perforate; to go through (e.g. a tunnel); to cross (e.g. a street) |
| 运作 (運作) | yùn zuò | to operate; operations |
| 线索 (線索) | xiàn suǒ | trail; clues |
| 绪 (緒) | xù | beginnings; clues |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 线.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 路线 (路線) | lù xiàn | itinerary; route |
| 在线 (在線) | zài xiàn | online; connected to the Internet; (fig.) (coll.) (of a person) mentally focused; engaged; (of skills, performance etc) sharp; on point; fun |
| 线路 (線路) | xiàn lù | (electricity) line; circuit; wire; (traffic) road; track; route |
| 线上 (線上) | xiàn shàng | online |
| 一线 (一線) | yī xiàn | front line; front-line position; a ray of; a glimmer of (hope, light etc) |
| 前线 (前線) | qián xiàn | front line; military front |
See also: Japanese symbol for “thread”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.