侧 meaning and stroke order
The side; to incline towards; to lean
How to write 侧, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 侧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- the side
- to incline towards
- to lean
- inclined
- lateral
- side
- lean on one side
How 侧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 则 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 侧
A person 亻 stands beside 则 (zé), which gives the sound. Picture a person stepping to the side of a rule sign, turning sideways to lean past it.
侧 (cè) usually means the side of something and appears mostly in compounds like 两侧 (liǎngcè), 左侧 (zuǒcè) and 侧面 (cèmiàn). It can also mean to turn or lean sideways, as in 侧身 or 侧着头. Example: 马路两侧都是商店。(Mǎlù liǎngcè dōu shì shāngdiàn.) There are shops on both sides of the road.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 侧 (cè) with 测 (cè, to measure) and 厕 (cè, toilet), which share the 则 sound part. Check the left side: 亻 person for side, 氵 water for measure, and 厂 cliff covering it for toilet.
Common words with 侧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
侧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 侧
How many strokes are in 侧?
侧 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 侧 mean?
侧 (cè) means the side; to incline towards; to lean. A common word with it is 两侧 (liǎngcè), meaning "two sides; both sides".
How do you pronounce 侧?
侧 is pronounced cè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 侧?
The radical of 侧 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 侧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 侧?
The traditional form of 侧 is 側. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 侧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 侧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 侧 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 侧 and 边 for side?
边 (biān) is the everyday word, as in 左边 (zuǒbian). 侧 (cè) sounds more formal or written and is common on signs and in descriptions, as in 左侧 (zuǒcè) on a subway notice.
Does 侧 have another pronunciation?
Dictionaries list a rare reading zhāi, meaning to lean to one side. In modern Mandarin you will almost always say cè.