The character 字 — “sign”: how to write it and what it means
sign, character
The Chinese character 字 is read zì and means “sign, character”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 字
字 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 字, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 字 is made of
宀 “roof” and 子 “child”. In 名字 it is read with the neutral tone: zi.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 字
- 名字nameHSK 1
- 汉字Chinese characterHSK 1
- 字典character dictionaryHSK 3
- 数字digit, numberHSK 4
- 文字writing system, textHSK 4
- 十字路口crossroadsHSK 4
- 签字signature; signHSK 5
- 字母letter (of the alphabet)HSK 5
- 字幕subtitlesHSK 6
- 数字化digitize; digitalizationHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 字?
字 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 字 mean?
字 means “sign, character”. It appears in 名字 (“name”), 汉字 (“Chinese character”), 字典 (“character dictionary”), 数字 (“digit”).
How do you pronounce 字?
字 is read zì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 字 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 字 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.
Start for free