The character 气 — “air”: how to write it and what it means
air, spirit
The Chinese character 气 is read qì and means “air, spirit”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 气
气 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 气, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 气 is made of
In 不客气 it is read with the neutral tone: qi.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 气
- 天气weatherHSK 1
- 不客气you're welcomeHSK 1
- 生气get angryHSK 3
- 脾气temperHSK 4
- 客气polite; stand on ceremonyHSK 4
- 力气strength (physical)HSK 4
- 气候climateHSK 4
- 气温air temperatureHSK 4
- 空气airHSK 4
- 勇气courageHSK 5
- 语气tone, intonationHSK 5
- 气球balloonHSK 5
- 运气luckHSK 5
- 暖气heating, radiatorHSK 6
- 气味smell, odorHSK 6
- 气氛atmosphere, ambienceHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 气?
气 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 气 mean?
气 means “air, spirit”. It appears in 天气 (“weather”), 不客气 (“you're welcome”), 生气 (“get angry”), 脾气 (“temper”).
How do you pronounce 气?
气 is read qì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 气 have?
4 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 气 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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