The character 义 — “justice”: how to write it and what it means
justice, duty; meaning
The Chinese character 义 is read yì and means “justice, duty; meaning”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 义
义 has 3 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 义, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 义 is made of
In 意义 it means “meaning”; in 义务, “duty”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 义
- 义务duty; voluntary (unpaid)HSK 5
- 意义meaning, significanceHSK 5
- 定义definition; define (a term)HSK 6
- 正义just cause; justHSK 6
- 含义meaning, implicationHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 义?
义 has 3 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 义 mean?
义 means “justice, duty; meaning”. It appears in 义务 (“duty”), 意义 (“meaning”), 定义 (“definition”), 正义 (“just cause”).
How do you pronounce 义?
义 is read yì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 义 have?
3 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 义 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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