The character 阶 — “step”: how to write it and what it means
step, stair
The Chinese character 阶 is read jiē and means “step, stair”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 阶
阶 has 6 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 阶, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 阶 is made of
On the left, 阝 “hill”: steps up a slope. On the right, 介 jiè hints at the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 阶
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 阶?
阶 has 6 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 阶 mean?
阶 means “step, stair”. It appears in 台阶 (“steps”), 阶段 (“stage”).
How do you pronounce 阶?
阶 is read jiē. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 阶 have?
6 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 阶 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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