The character 柔 — “soft”: how to write it and what it means
soft, supple
The Chinese character 柔 is read róu and means “soft, supple”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 柔
柔 has 9 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 柔, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 柔 is made of
Below, 木 “tree”: supple, pliant wood. On top, 矛 “spear”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 柔
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 柔?
柔 has 9 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 柔 mean?
柔 means “soft, supple”. It appears in 温柔 (“gentle”), 柔软 (“soft”).
How do you pronounce 柔?
柔 is read róu. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 柔 have?
9 strokes.
← 纯 pure矩 carpenter's square →
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 柔 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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