字(zì)

HSK 16 strokes

letter

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Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
zì
Meaning
letter; symbol; character; word; CL:个; courtesy or style name traditionally given to males aged 20 in dynastic China
Strokes
6
HSK level
HSK 1
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where 字 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Ideograph⿱宀子

A child 子 in a house 宀; 子 also provides the pronunciation

A combination of parts whose meanings add up to the whole.

Made of

宀mián子zǐ

Parts are arranged top to bottom.

How to write 字 step by step

6 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6

Words with 字

Common words using 字 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

míng名zì字
HSK 1

name (of a person or thing)

Open 名字 page →
shí十zì字lù路kǒu口
HSK 7-9

crossroads

Open 十字路口 page →
yī一zì字

in a row; in a line

Open 一字 page →
dīng丁zì字

T-shaped

Open 丁字 page →
dài代zì字

abbreviated name of an entity (e.g. 皖政, a short name for 安徽省人民政府); code nam…

Open 代字 page →
yī一zì字yī一lèi泪

each word is a teardrop (idiom)

Open 一字一泪 page →
yī一zì字bù不chà差

(idiom) word for word; verbatim; without a single mistake or omission

Open 一字不差 page →
yī一zì字zhī之shī师

one who can correct a misread or misspelt character and thus be your master

Open 一字之师 page →

Related characters

More HSK 1 characters

一七三上下不东两

From 字’s common words

名十路口一丁代泪

Ready to master 字?

Trace 字 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.

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