The character 依 — “rely on”: how to write it and what it means
rely on; according to
The Chinese character 依 is read yī and means “rely on; according to”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 依
依 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 依, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 依 is made of
On the left, 亻 “person”; on the right, 衣 yī “clothes” hints at the reading.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 依
- 依靠rely on; supportHSK 5
- 依然still, as beforeHSK 5
- 依据basis; according toHSK 5
- 依旧as before; remain the sameHSK 6
- 依赖depend (on), relyHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 依?
依 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 依 mean?
依 means “rely on; according to”. It appears in 依靠 (“rely on”), 依然 (“still”), 依据 (“basis”), 依旧 (“as before”).
How do you pronounce 依?
依 is read yī. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 依 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 依 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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