The character 点 — “dot”: how to write it and what it means
dot; o'clock
The Chinese character 点 is read diǎn and means “dot; o'clock”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 点
点 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 点, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 点 is made of
At the bottom, 灬 “fire”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 点
- 一点儿a littleHSK 1
- 有点儿a bit (negative)HSK 1
- 地点location (of an event)HSK 3
- 晚点be delayed (transport)HSK 3
- 优点strength, advantageHSK 4
- 缺点shortcoming, flawHSK 4
- 特点feature, characteristicHSK 4
- 点头nodHSK 4
- 景点sight, tourist attractionHSK 4
- 点名take attendanceHSK 4
- 重点key point, emphasisHSK 4
- 差点儿almost, nearlyHSK 4
- 点心sweets, pastriesHSK 5
- 观点point of viewHSK 5
- 点赞give a likeHSK 5
- 点燃light, igniteHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 点?
点 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 点 mean?
点 means “dot; o'clock”. It appears in 一点儿 (“a little”), 有点儿 (“a bit”), 地点 (“location”), 晚点 (“be delayed”).
How do you pronounce 点?
点 is read diǎn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 点 have?
9 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 点 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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