Liu
Liu (name) means a common Chinese surname, from Mandarin 劉/刘 (liú) or Cantonese 廖 (liu⁶). Example: “Liu is one of the most common surnames in China.”
Word forms
Lius plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ is one of the most common surnames in China.
Etymology
From Mandarin 劉 /刘 (liú), doublet of Lau and Luu.
Rhymes for Liu
See all rhymes for Liu →Frequently asked questions
What does “Liu” mean?
The word “Liu” means a common Chinese surname, from Mandarin 劉/刘 (liú) or Cantonese 廖 (liu⁶).
How do you pronounce “Liu”?
“Liu” is pronounced lee-OH (/liˈoʊ/ in IPA).
How do you use “Liu” in a sentence?
Here is “Liu” used in a sentence: “Liu is one of the most common surnames in China.”
What part of speech is “Liu”?
“Liu” is a name.
Is “Liu” a common word?
“Liu” is an uncommon word in modern English.
Is Liu a common surname in China?
Liu is one of the most widespread Chinese surnames, derived from the Mandarin reading 劉/刘 (liú). A related but different character, 廖, is romanized as Liu in Cantonese, so two distinct Chinese surnames can appear as "Liu" in English.
Why do two different Chinese characters both romanize as Liu?
This happens because Mandarin and Cantonese use different romanization systems for different characters that happen to sound similar. The Mandarin surname 劉/刘 and the Cantonese surname 廖 are unrelated characters that both end up spelled "Liu" in English text.
Is Liu used as a given name as well as a surname?
Liu is primarily documented as a surname rather than a given name, tracing back to the Mandarin and Cantonese readings above. Like many Chinese family names, it typically appears before the given name in traditional Chinese naming order.
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