The character 斤 — “jin”: how to write it and what it means

斤
jīn

jin (half a kilo)

4 strokes · HSK 3 · word page

The Chinese character 斤 is read jīn and means “jin (half a kilo)”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 斤

斤 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 斤, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 斤 is made of

Originally a picture of an axe.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 斤

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 斤?

斤 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 斤 mean?

斤 means “jin (half a kilo)”. It appears in 公斤 (“kilogram”).

How do you pronounce 斤?

斤 is read jīn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 斤 have?

4 strokes.

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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 斤 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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