The character 首 — “head”: how to write it and what it means
head; first, chief
The Chinese character 首 is read shǒu and means “head; first, chief”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 首
首 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 首, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 首 is made of
A drawing of a head with hair. It's also the measure word for songs and poems.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 首
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 首?
首 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 首 mean?
首 means “head; first, chief”. It appears in 首先 (“first of all”), 首都 (“capital”), 首次 (“for the first time”), 首要 (“primary”).
How do you pronounce 首?
首 is read shǒu. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 首 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 首 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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