线

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thread; string; wire; line; CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3],根[gen1]; (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

纟 meaning “thread” + 戋 sound ( jiān )

Components 纟戋

line · Heisig RSH #1081

thread + float

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
一线生机	yī xiàn shēng jī	(idiom) a chance of survival; a fighting chance; a ray of hope
大地线	dà dì xiàn	a geodesic (curve)
分水线	fēn shuǐ xiàn	watershed
线人	xiàn rén	spy; informer
无线电	wú xiàn diàn	radio; wireless (i.e. the technology used in radio telecommunication); a radio
一线	yī xiàn	front line; front-line position; a ray of; a glimmer of (hope, light etc)
文山线	Wén shān xiàn	Taipei Metro Wenshan Line (known as the Muzha Line 木柵線\|木栅线[Mu4 zha4 xian4] prior to Octobe…
中线	zhōng xiàn	half-way line; median line
地平线	dì píng xiàn	horizon
地线	dì xiàn	earth (wire); ground
无线	wú xiàn	wireless
天线	tiān xiàn	antenna; aerial; (fig.) connection to higher authorities; channel to influential people
线性	xiàn xìng	linear; linearity
平行线	píng xíng xiàn	parallel lines
白线	bái xiàn	white line (road markings)
动线	dòng xiàn	path taken by people moving through a space; flowline (in architecture, interior design, u…
有线	yǒu xiàn	wired; cable (television)
上线	shàng xiàn	to go online; to put sth online; to reach a specific standard; to put into production; han…
线上	xiàn shàng	online
分数线	fēn shù xiàn	horizontal line (in a fraction); minimum passing score

Characters sharing the sound component 戋 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
戋 sound part	jiān	small, narrow; tiny, little
钱	qián	money, currency, coins
残	cán	to injure, to ruin, to spoil; cruel, oppressive, savage; disabled, incomplete
浅	qiǎn	shallow, superficial
栈	zhàn	warehouse; tavern, inn
践	jiàn	to trample, to tread on, to walk over
笺	jiān	note, memo, letter; stationery; comments
饯	jiàn	to send off; farewell dinner; preserves