俠 meaning and stroke order
Chivalrous person; knight-errant
How to write 俠, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
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- 8
- 9
Meaning of 俠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- knight-errant
- brave and chivalrous
- hero
- heroic
How 俠 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Someone 亻 who supports 夾 others; 夾 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 俠
俠 is a person 亻 standing beside 夾 (jiā, to press from both sides, to support). Picture a hero who steps in at your side to hold you up when you are in trouble.
俠 appears mostly in words about heroes and martial arts stories, such as 大侠 (dàxiá) and 侠义 (xiáyì). It is common in wuxia novels and films. Example: 他是一位行侠仗义的大侠。(Tā shì yí wèi xíng xiá zhàng yì de dàxiá.) He is a great hero who acts with chivalry and justice.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 俠 with 峽 (xiá, gorge) and 狹 (xiá, narrow), which share 夾 and the same sound. Only 俠 has the person radical 亻, so it is the one about people.
Common words with 俠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 俠
How many strokes are in 俠?
俠 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 俠 mean?
俠 (xiá) means chivalrous person; knight-errant. A common word with it is 侠义 (xiáyì), meaning "chivalrous; chivalry".
How do you pronounce 俠?
俠 is pronounced xiá, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 俠?
The radical of 俠 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 俠 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 俠?
俠 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 侠, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is a 武侠 (wǔxiá) story?
武侠 is a genre of Chinese fiction about martial artists who wander the land and fight for justice. Writers like Jin Yong made it hugely popular, and the word is now used for novels, films and games.
Can 大侠 be used jokingly in everyday speech?
Yes. People sometimes call a friend 大侠 to tease them or praise someone who helped out, a bit like calling someone a hero in English. In online chats you may also see it used playfully to address an expert.