The character 救 — “save”: how to write it and what it means
save, rescue
The Chinese character 救 is read jiù and means “save, rescue”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 救
救 has 11 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 救, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 救 is made of
On the left, 求 qiú hints at the sound; on the right, 攵 “strike, act”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 救
- 抢救save (a life)HSK 5
- 救护车ambulanceHSK 5
- 急救give first aidHSK 6
- 救命save a life; help!HSK 6
- 救援rescue, come to the aidHSK 6
- 救灾provide disaster reliefHSK 6
- 救助give aid (to victims)HSK 6
- 求救call for helpHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 救?
救 has 11 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 救 mean?
救 means “save, rescue”. It appears in 抢救 (“save”), 救护车 (“ambulance”), 急救 (“give first aid”), 救命 (“save a life”).
How do you pronounce 救?
救 is read jiù. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 救 have?
11 strokes.
← 胃 stomach恢 part of the word “restore” →
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 救 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