The character 胁 — “threaten”: how to write it and what it means

胁
xié

threaten; flank

8 strokes · HSK 5

The Chinese character 胁 is read xié and means “threaten; flank”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 胁

胁 has 8 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 胁, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 胁 is made of

On the left, 月 “flesh, body”: the first meaning is the sides, the ribs. On the right, 办, as in 协 xié.

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

Words with 胁

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 胁?

胁 has 8 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 胁 mean?

胁 means “threaten; flank”. It appears in 威胁 (“threaten”).

How do you pronounce 胁?

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

How many strokes does 胁 have?

8 strokes.

← 威 might源 source →

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 胁 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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