倚 meaning and stroke order
To lean on; to rely upon
How to write 倚, 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.
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Meaning of 倚
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lean on
- to rely upon
How 倚 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 奇 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 倚
A person 亻 stands next to 奇 (qí), which gives the sound. Picture a person leaning on something to stay up, which is what 倚 (yǐ) means.
倚 (yǐ) is mostly literary or formal and often means leaning your body against something, or relying on power or support. It appears in set phrases like 倚老卖老 (yǐ lǎo mài lǎo), to act superior because of one's age. Example: 她倚在门边。(Tā yǐ zài mén biān.) She leaned against the doorway.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 倚 (yǐ) with 椅 (yǐ, chair), which has the wood radical 木 instead of 亻. They also sometimes read it as qí because of the 奇 component, but the correct reading is yǐ with a third tone.
倚 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 倚
How many strokes are in 倚?
倚 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 倚 mean?
倚 (yǐ) means to lean on; to rely upon.
How do you pronounce 倚?
倚 is pronounced yǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 倚?
The radical of 倚 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 倚 under this radical.
Is 倚 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 倚 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 倚 and 靠?
Both can mean to lean on or rely on. 靠 (kào) is the everyday word, while 倚 (yǐ) sounds more written or literary. In speech, people usually say 靠着墙 (kào zhe qiáng) rather than 倚着墙.
What does 不偏不倚 mean?
不偏不倚 (bù piān bù yǐ) means impartial or perfectly balanced, leaning to neither side. It is used to describe fair judgments or a position that is exactly in the middle.