The character 如 — “like”: how to write it and what it means
like, as; if
The Chinese character 如 is read rú and means “like, as; if”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 如
如 has 6 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 如, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 如 is made of
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 如
- 如果ifHSK 3
- 比如for exampleHSK 3
- 不如not as good as; might as wellHSK 4
- 例如for exampleHSK 4
- 如今nowadays, nowHSK 5
- 假如if, supposeHSK 5
- 如同like, asHSK 5
- 如此so, in this wayHSK 5
- 正如just asHSK 5
- 如何how (lit.)HSK 5
- 如下as followsHSK 5
- 犹如just like, as if (lit.)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 如?
如 has 6 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 如 mean?
如 means “like, as; if”. It appears in 如果 (“if”), 比如 (“for example”), 不如 (“not as good as”), 例如 (“for example”).
How do you pronounce 如?
如 is read rú. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 如 have?
6 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 如 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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