The character 旧 — “old”: how to write it and what it means
old, former
The Chinese character 旧 is read jiù and means “old, former”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 旧
旧 has 5 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 旧, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 旧 is made of
On the right, 日 “sun, day”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 旧
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 旧?
旧 has 5 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 旧 mean?
旧 means “old, former”. It appears in 仍旧 (“still”), 依旧 (“as before”).
How do you pronounce 旧?
旧 is read jiù. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 旧 have?
5 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 旧 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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