The character 切 — “close to”: how to write it and what it means
close to; cut
The Chinese character 切 is read qiè and means “close to; cut”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 切
切 has 4 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 切, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 切 is made of
On the right, 刀 “knife”; on the left, 七 qī hints at the sound. In the sense “cut” it's read qiē.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 切
- 一切everythingHSK 4
- 密切close; closelyHSK 5
- 亲切cordial, warmHSK 5
- 急切eager, urgentHSK 6
- 迫切pressing, urgentHSK 6
- 切实effective; in practiceHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 切?
切 has 4 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 切 mean?
切 means “close to; cut”. It appears in 一切 (“everything”), 密切 (“close”), 亲切 (“cordial”), 急切 (“eager”).
How do you pronounce 切?
切 is read qiè. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 切 have?
4 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 切 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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