倔 meaning and stroke order
Gruff; surly
How to write 倔, stroke by stroke
10 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 倔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- gruff; surly
- used in 倔強|倔强[jue2 jiang4]
How 倔 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Someone 亻 who does not bend 屈; 屈 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 倔
A person 亻 standing next to 屈 (qū, to bend). This person refuses to bend, so 倔 means stubborn, and 屈 also hints at the sound.
In the second tone, jué, it appears mainly in 倔强 (juéjiàng), a common word for stubborn or unyielding, which can be a criticism or a compliment about someone's toughness. In the fourth tone, juè, it describes someone gruff or blunt in manner, as in colloquial 他脾气很倔 (tā píqi hěn juè), "He has a really stubborn, gruff temper."
Common mistake: Learners often write 掘 (jué, to dig) with the hand radical 扌 instead of the person radical 亻. Remember that a person is stubborn, while a hand digs. Also note that 强 in 倔强 is read jiàng, not qiáng.
Common words with 倔
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 倔强 | juéjiàng | stubborn; obstinate; unbending | HSK 7-9 |
倔 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 倔
How many strokes are in 倔?
倔 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 倔 mean?
倔 (juè) means gruff; surly. A common word with it is 倔强 (juéjiàng), meaning "stubborn; obstinate; unbending".
How do you pronounce 倔?
倔 has more than one reading: juè and jué. The most common is juè, said in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 倔?
The radical of 倔 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 倔 under this radical.
Is 倔 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 倔 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 倔强 and 固执?
Both mean stubborn. 固执 (gùzhí) is usually negative and means refusing to change one's opinion. 倔强 can also praise someone's strong, unbending spirit, for example a child who won't give up.
When do I say juè instead of jué?
Use jué in the set word 倔强. Use juè when 倔 stands alone in casual speech to describe a gruff, blunt, or obstinate personality, such as 这老头真倔 (zhè lǎotóu zhēn juè), "This old man is really stubborn."