一 meaning and stroke order
One; single; a (article)
How to write 一, stroke by stroke
1 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
Meaning of 一
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- one
- single
- a (article)
- as soon as
- entire; whole; all; throughout
- "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1)
How 一 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Represents heaven (天), earth (旦), or the number 1.
How to remember 一
一 (yī) is a single horizontal stroke, so picture one finger held sideways or one line drawn on the ground. The etymology hint says it can also stand for heaven or earth, a single flat line like the horizon.
一 is used for counting, but it also appears in many everyday words like 一起 (yīqǐ, together) and 一样 (yīyàng, the same). In the pattern 一...就... it means "as soon as". Example: 我一到家就睡觉。(Wǒ yí dào jiā jiù shuìjiào.) As soon as I get home, I go to sleep.
Common mistake: Learners often say yī in every context, but the tone changes. 一 becomes yí before a fourth tone, as in 一样 (yíyàng), and yì before first, second and third tones, as in 一起 (yìqǐ). It keeps yī only when counting, at the end of a word, or in ordinal numbers like 第一 (dì yī).
Common words with 一
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一起 | yīqǐ | (in) the same place; together; in company (with) | HSK 1 |
| 一样 | yīyàng | same; like | HSK 1 |
| 一些 | yīxiē | some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er | HSK 1 |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while | HSK 1 |
| 一半 | yībàn | half | HSK 1 |
| 一边 | yībiān | one side; either side | HSK 1 |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] | HSK 1 |
| 一块儿 | yīkuàir | erhua variant of 一塊|一块[yi1 kuai4] | HSK 1 |
| 一下儿 | yīxiàr | erhua form of 一下[yi1 xia4] | HSK 1 |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather | HSK 1 |
| 一定 | yīdìng | surely; certainly; definitely; fixed; settled | HSK 2 |
| 一直 | yīzhí | straight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through | HSK 2 |
| 一般 | yībān | same; ordinary | HSK 2 |
| 一生 | yīshēng | all one's life; throughout one's life | HSK 2 |
一 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 一
Learning 一 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 一
How many strokes are in 一?
一 is written with 1 stroke. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 一 mean?
一 (yī) means one; single; a (article). A common word with it is 一起 (yīqǐ), meaning "(in) the same place; together; in company (with)".
How do you pronounce 一?
一 is pronounced yī, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 一 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 一 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why do some phone numbers use yāo instead of yī?
When reading out digits like phone numbers or room numbers, people often say yāo for 1 so it does not sound like 七 (qī, seven). For example, 110 is usually read yāo yāo líng.
Is 一 the same as the English word "a"?
It often works like "a" but needs a measure word, as in 一本书 (yì běn shū, a book). In casual speech the 一 is sometimes dropped after a verb, as in 买(一)个苹果 (mǎi ge píngguǒ, buy an apple).