The character 独 — “single”: how to write it and what it means
single, alone
The Chinese character 独 is read dú and means “single, alone”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 独
独 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 独, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 独 is made of
On the left, 犭 “beast”. 独立 — “stand alone”, independent.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 独
- 独自alone, by oneselfHSK 5
- 单独separately, aloneHSK 5
- 独立independent; independentlyHSK 5
- 独特distinctive, uniqueHSK 5
- 孤独lonelyHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 独?
独 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 独 mean?
独 means “single, alone”. It appears in 独自 (“alone”), 单独 (“separately”), 独立 (“independent”), 独特 (“distinctive”).
How do you pronounce 独?
独 is read dú. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 独 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 独 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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