The character 精 — “choice”: how to write it and what it means
choice, refined; spirit
The Chinese character 精 is read jīng and means “choice, refined; spirit”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 精
精 has 14 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 精, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 精 is made of
On the left, 米 “rice”: choice, polished grain. On the right, 青 qīng hints at the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 精
- 精彩brilliant, excitingHSK 4
- 精力energy, strengthHSK 5
- 精神spirit; energeticHSK 5
- 精美exquisite, finely madeHSK 6
- 精致refined, delicateHSK 6
- 酒精alcohol, ethanolHSK 6
- 精心meticulous, with careHSK 6
- 精通master, be proficient inHSK 6
- 精确precise (down to details)HSK 6
- 精准precise, accurateHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 精?
精 has 14 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 精 mean?
精 means “choice, refined; spirit”. It appears in 精彩 (“brilliant”), 精力 (“energy”), 精神 (“spirit”), 精美 (“exquisite”).
How do you pronounce 精?
精 is read jīng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 精 have?
14 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 精 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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