The character 激 — “surging”: how to write it and what it means
surging; excite
The Chinese character 激 is read jī and means “surging; excite”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 激
激 has 16 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 激, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 激 is made of
On the left, 氵 “water”. In 冰激凌 it was chosen for its sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 激
- 冰激凌ice creamHSK 3
- 激动excited, agitatedHSK 4
- 刺激irritate; thrillingHSK 5
- 激烈fierce, intenseHSK 5
- 感激be gratefulHSK 6
- 激情passion, enthusiasmHSK 6
- 激发arouse, stimulateHSK 6
- 激励encourage, motivateHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 激?
激 has 16 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 激 mean?
激 means “surging; excite”. It appears in 冰激凌 (“ice cream”), 激动 (“excited”), 刺激 (“irritate”), 激烈 (“fierce”).
How do you pronounce 激?
激 is read jī. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 激 have?
16 strokes.
← 特 special凌 part of “ice cream” →
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 激 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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