The character 鸭 — “duck”: how to write it and what it means

鸭
yā

duck

10 strokes · HSK 5

The Chinese character 鸭 is read yā and means “duck”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 鸭

鸭 has 10 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 鸭, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 鸭 is made of

On the right, 鸟 “bird”; on the left, 甲 jiǎ hints at the reading, as it also does in 押 yā.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 鸭

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 鸭?

鸭 has 10 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 鸭 mean?

鸭 means “duck”. It appears in 鸭子 (“duck”).

How do you pronounce 鸭?

鸭 is read yā. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 鸭 have?

10 strokes.

← 猪 pig兔 rabbit →

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 鸭 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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