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HSK 7-912 strokes

thorns

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
Meaning
thorns
Strokes
12
HSK level
HSK 7-9
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿰朿朿

In this compound, the meaning comes from (thorn); supplies the sound.

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

Parts are arranged left to right.

How to write step by step

12 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
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12

Words with

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

shǒu
HSK 7-9

thorny (problem); intractable

Open 棘手 page →
jīng
HSK 7-9

thistles and thorns

Open 荆棘 page →
chǔ

thorny problem; troublesome affair

Open 棘楚 page →

lit. to cut one's way through thistles and thorns (idiom)

Open 披荆斩棘 page →
shā

(botany) sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

Open 沙棘 page →

lit. a path covered in brambles

Open 荆棘载途 page →

to eat bitter fruit and lie on thorns (idiom); to share the hard life of the common people

Open 食荼卧棘 page →

Related characters

Ready to master 棘?

Trace 棘 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.