The character 初 — “beginning”: how to write it and what it means
beginning, first
The Chinese character 初 is read chū and means “beginning, first”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 初
初 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 初, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 初 is made of
On the left, 衤 “clothing”; on the right, 刀 “knife”: sewing starts with cutting.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 初
- 初中middle school (grades 7–9)HSK 3
- 最初at firstHSK 5
- 年初beginning of the yearHSK 5
- 初期initial periodHSK 5
- 初级elementary (level)HSK 5
- 起初at first, initiallyHSK 6
- 当初at that time, originallyHSK 6
- 初等elementary, basicHSK 6
- 初步preliminary, initialHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 初?
初 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 初 mean?
初 means “beginning, first”. It appears in 初中 (“middle school”), 最初 (“at first”), 年初 (“beginning of the year”), 初期 (“initial period”).
How do you pronounce 初?
初 is read chū. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 初 have?
7 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 初 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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