Read Edit View history 字 zì HSK1 letter Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents Basic Details Gloss Iconic Gloss Original Meaning Hint Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 子 represents the sound. The 宀 (roof) component is based on the original meaning "raise up children". The meaning later shifted to "educate", "word", and "writing". Pinyin Separate values with commas zì ×zi × Add Simplified Variants Separate values with commas Add Traditional Variants Separate values with commas Add Variant Of Components Character ◎ Hint Type meaning sound iconic remnant simplified deleted distinguishing unknown Old pronunciation From original meaning Glyph changed 字 Simp strokes 字 Trad strokes Character ◎ Hint Type meaning sound iconic remnant simplified deleted distinguishing unknown Old pronunciation From original meaning Glyph changed 字 Simp strokes 字 Trad strokes + Add component Stroke Data 字 Stroke Data (Simp) — JSON { "source": "dong", "medians": [ [ [ 438, 844 ], [ 526, 800 ], [ 561, 758 ] ], [ [ 244, 691 ], [ 253, 657 ], [ 241, 622 ], [ 200, 553 ], [ 187, 494 ] ], [ [ 276, 627 ], [ 293, 637 ], [ 486, 672 ], [ 741, 701 ], [ 783, 687 ], [ 798, 672 ], [ 802, 657 ], [ 730, 572 ] ], [ [ 330, 515 ], [ 352, 504 ], [ 385, 502 ], [ 561, 556 ], [ 598, 550 ], [ 621, 525 ], [ 607, 501 ], [ 520, 411 ] ], [ [ 479, 418 ], [ 515, 363 ], [ 532, 295 ], [ 540, 206 ], [ 539, 138 ], [ 523, 51 ], [ 498, 16 ], [ 365, 85 ] ], [ [ 136, 286 ], [ 197, 268 ], [ 374, 297 ], [ 822, 337 ], [ 861, 329 ], [ 907, 310 ] ] ], "strokes": [ "M 467 799 Q 497 777 529 750 Q 545 737 564 739 Q 576 740 580 756 Q 584 774 571 807 Q 556 841 457 853 Q 438 854 432 852 Q 426 846 429 832 Q 435 819 467 799 Z", "M 277 656 Q 277 677 254 696 Q 236 712 233 686 Q 237 656 194 602 Q 149 554 165 507 Q 166 498 171 491 Q 184 464 206 491 Q 221 512 268 623 L 277 656 Z", "M 268 623 Q 289 611 326 619 Q 476 665 705 681 Q 730 684 741 681 Q 759 668 756 661 Q 756 657 725 583 Q 718 570 725 565 Q 732 561 749 573 Q 804 613 850 627 Q 887 640 887 649 Q 886 659 812 712 Q 788 730 707 714 Q 503 690 373 668 Q 324 661 277 656 C 247 653 239 632 268 623 Z", "M 518 399 Q 642 495 669 501 Q 688 508 683 524 Q 680 540 614 578 Q 595 588 572 580 Q 511 558 418 532 Q 393 525 335 527 Q 311 528 319 508 Q 326 495 346 483 Q 377 467 411 486 Q 433 493 546 534 Q 559 538 571 532 Q 584 525 578 511 Q 545 465 508 409 C 491 384 494 381 518 399 Z", "M 551 333 Q 536 381 518 399 L 508 409 Q 498 419 487 424 Q 477 431 471 423 Q 467 419 474 405 Q 490 371 500 328 L 507 289 Q 525 120 490 66 Q 489 65 487 62 Q 478 58 377 89 Q 367 92 360 88 Q 354 87 370 74 Q 437 19 475 -30 Q 493 -49 511 -40 Q 535 -27 553 27 Q 578 120 558 293 L 551 333 Z", "M 558 293 Q 718 311 889 296 Q 911 293 918 301 Q 925 314 914 325 Q 886 352 844 371 Q 831 377 806 369 Q 737 356 667 346 Q 600 340 551 333 L 500 328 Q 491 331 308 309 Q 241 299 139 298 Q 126 299 124 288 Q 123 276 141 262 Q 157 250 187 238 Q 197 234 214 242 Q 230 246 303 259 Q 393 280 507 289 L 558 293 Z" ] } 6 strokes 字 Stroke Data (Trad) — JSON { "source": "animcjk", "medians": [ [ [ 432, 844 ], [ 516, 807 ], [ 572, 749 ] ], [ [ 241, 694 ], [ 249, 645 ], [ 185, 482 ] ], [ [ 267, 633 ], [ 755, 700 ], [ 831, 647 ], [ 732, 568 ] ], [ [ 324, 516 ], [ 380, 503 ], [ 593, 555 ], [ 629, 513 ], [ 513, 404 ] ], [ [ 477, 421 ], [ 534, 285 ], [ 524, 51 ], [ 489, 10 ], [ 369, 82 ] ], [ [ 130, 287 ], [ 191, 269 ], [ 830, 337 ], [ 917, 317 ] ] ], "strokes": [ "M467,799C487,786 507,768 529,750C539,742 551,738 564,739C572,740 577,746 580,756C582,768 580,786 571,807C561,830 523,846 457,853C444,855 435,855 432,852C427,849 426,842 429,832C432,823 446,814 467,799Z", "M277,656C277,670 269,684 254,696C241,707 233,704 233,686C232,672 224,637 194,602C165,569 155,539 165,507C166,502 168,497 171,491C180,474 191,473 206,491C216,505 236,549 268,623C272,634 277,645 277,656Z", "M268,623C282,615 301,612 326,619C426,648 552,670 705,681C721,683 734,685 741,681C754,674 757,666 756,661C755,659 746,632 725,583C721,574 720,569 725,565C729,563 737,565 749,573C785,600 819,618 850,627C874,636 887,643 887,649C886,656 861,677 812,712C795,724 761,722 707,714C571,695 459,683 373,668C340,663 308,660 277,656C266,654 258,628 268,623Z", "M518,398C600,462 651,496 669,501C682,505 685,514 683,524C680,535 658,553 614,578C601,585 587,586 572,580C531,566 480,550 418,532C401,528 373,526 335,527C319,528 313,522 319,508C323,499 332,491 346,483C366,472 387,476 411,486C425,493 470,507 546,534C554,537 563,537 571,532C579,528 583,520 578,511C557,480 532,447 508,409C505,405 514,395 518,398Z", "M550,333C542,360 528,387 518,398C511,405 511,405 508,409C501,417 494,420 487,424C479,428 475,429 471,423C468,421 469,415 474,405C484,383 489,366 500,328C503,316 505,303 507,289C520,179 512,127 498,78C495,69 490,64 487,62C477,57 444,69 377,89C370,91 365,90 360,88C356,87 359,83 370,74C414,38 448,2 475,-30C486,-43 499,-46 511,-40C527,-31 542,-9 553,27C571,89 579,176 559,293C556,307 553,320 550,333Z", "M559,293C666,302 775,307 889,296C903,295 914,296 918,301C923,310 921,318 914,325C895,344 872,359 844,371C835,375 823,373 806,369C760,359 713,352 667,346C622,341 582,337 550,333C517,330 517,330 500,328C469,325 430,320 308,309C263,306 207,298 139,298C130,298 125,296 124,288C123,280 128,272 141,262C151,254 167,246 187,238C193,236 202,238 214,242C224,246 254,249 303,259C363,272 431,283 507,289C542,292 542,292 559,293Z" ] } 6 strokes Historical Pronunciations Source baxter-sagartzhengzhangtang Middle Chinese Old Chinese Gloss + Add historical pronunciation Sources × Quick add: 漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》李学勤《字源》zi.toolsChinese Text Project許進雄《簡明中國文字學》 + Add source Verified Edit Comment (required) Submit Edit Note: The form works without JavaScript but the tag/list editors are simplified.