倭 meaning and stroke order
Dwarf; dwarfish, short
How to write 倭, 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
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- 5
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- 10
Meaning of 倭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dwarf
- Japanese (derog.) (old)
How 倭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 委 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 倭
倭 combines the person radical 亻 with 委 (wěi), which gives the sound. Picture a person 亻 next to 委 and think of a small, short person.
Today 倭 is rarely used on its own. It appears mostly in historical texts as an old name for Japan or Japanese people, and that use is now considered derogatory. The best-known example is 倭寇 (wōkòu), the term for pirates who raided the Chinese coast centuries ago: 明朝时期有倭寇 (Míng cháo shíqī yǒu wōkòu), "There were wokou pirates during the Ming dynasty."
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 倭 (wō) with 矮 (ǎi, short). 矮 is the everyday word for short in height, as in 他很矮 (tā hěn ǎi). Also note the first tone in wō. It does not take the third tone of its phonetic 委 (wěi).
Questions about 倭
How many strokes are in 倭?
倭 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 倭 mean?
倭 (wō) means dwarf; dwarfish, short.
How do you pronounce 倭?
倭 is pronounced wō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 倭?
The radical of 倭 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 倭 under this radical.
Is it offensive to call Japan 倭 in modern Chinese?
Yes. In modern usage 倭 for Japan or Japanese people is old and derogatory. The neutral word is 日本 (Rìběn).
What does 倭寇 mean?
倭寇 (wōkòu) refers to pirates who raided the coasts of China and Korea, especially during the Ming dynasty. You will see it in history books and documentaries.