七 meaning and stroke order
Seven; 7
How to write 七, stroke by stroke
2 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
- 2
Meaning of 七
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- seven
- 7
How 七 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 一 (one), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 七
七 (qī) is built from a horizontal stroke 一 crossed by a hooked stroke 乚. Picture the hook as a bent knife slicing through the line, giving you seven.
七 is the everyday word for the number seven and appears in dates, ages, prices, and larger numbers like 十七 (shíqī, seventeen) and 七十 (qīshí, seventy). It also shows up in idioms about disorder, often paired with 八 (bā, eight). Example: 我的房间乱七八糟。(Wǒ de fángjiān luànqībāzāo.) My room is a total mess.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 七 with 十 (shí, ten), because both are a cross shape. In 七 the vertical stroke bends to the right at the bottom and ends with an upward hook, while 十 has a straight vertical stroke.
Common words with 七
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
七 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 七
Learning 七 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 七
How many strokes are in 七?
七 is written with 2 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 七 mean?
七 (qī) means seven; 7. A common word with it is 乱七八糟 (luànqībāzāo), meaning "(idiom) chaotic; in disorder; muddled".
How do you pronounce 七?
七 is pronounced qī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 七?
The radical of 七 is 一, which carries the idea of "one". Dictionaries list 七 under this radical.
Is 七 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 七 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.
Does the tone of 七 change before other syllables?
In standard Mandarin 七 is normally read with first tone, qī, in all positions. Some older speakers change it to second tone before a fourth tone syllable, as in 七个 (qí gè), but learners can safely use qī everywhere.
Why do so many messy idioms pair 七 with 八?
Expressions like 乱七八糟, 七嘴八舌, and 横七竖八 use the pair 七 and 八 to suggest many things scattered in every direction. When you see 七...八 in an idiom, it usually describes chaos, crowds, or disorder rather than exact numbers.