The character 泥 — “mud”: how to write it and what it means
mud, clay
The Chinese character 泥 is read ní and means “mud, clay”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 泥
泥 has 8 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 泥, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 泥 is made of
On the left, 氵 “water”: earth mixed with water. On the right, 尼 ní hints at the reading, as it also does in 呢 ne.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 泥
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 泥?
泥 has 8 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 泥 mean?
泥 means “mud, clay”. It appears in 水泥 (“cement”).
How do you pronounce 泥?
泥 is read ní. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 泥 have?
8 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 泥 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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