The character 棋 — “chess”: how to write it and what it means
chess, board game
The Chinese character 棋 is read qí and means “chess, board game”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 棋
棋 has 12 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 棋, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 棋 is made of
On the left, 木 “wood”: a wooden board and pieces. On the right, 其 qí hints at the reading, as it also does in 旗 qí.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 棋
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 棋?
棋 has 12 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 棋 mean?
棋 means “chess, board game”. It appears in 象棋 (“Chinese chess”), 围棋 (“go”), 棋子 (“chess piece”).
How do you pronounce 棋?
棋 is read qí. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 棋 have?
12 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 棋 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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