側 meaning and stroke order
Side; to slant, to lean, to incline
How to write 側, stroke by stroke
11 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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- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 側
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- the side
- to incline towards
- to lean
- inclined
- lateral
- side
- lean on one side
How 側 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 則 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 側
A person 亻 stands at the side of 則 (zé), which gives the sound. Picture someone standing off to one side, leaning in to listen.
側 (cè) is the traditional form; mainland China writes 侧. It usually appears in words for position, like 左側 (zuǒcè, left side) and 兩側 (liǎngcè, both sides), and as a verb for tilting the body or head. Example: 他側著頭聽。(Tā cèzhe tóu tīng.) He listened with his head tilted.
Common mistake: Learners confuse 側 (cè) with 測 (cè, to measure) and 廁 (cè, toilet), which share the same sound and the 則 part. Check the left side: 亻 person for side, 氵 water for measure, and 广 for toilet.
Common words with 側
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 側
How many strokes are in 側?
側 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 側 mean?
側 (cè) means side; to slant, to lean, to incline. A common word with it is 两侧 (liǎngcè), meaning "two sides; both sides".
How do you pronounce 側?
側 is pronounced cè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 側?
The radical of 側 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 側 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 側?
側 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 侧, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the zhāi reading of 側?
The reading zhāi means leaning to one side. It is rare in modern Chinese, and almost every word you will meet uses cè.
What does 側重 mean and how is it used?
側重 (cèzhòng) means to put special emphasis on something. For example, 這門課側重口語 (zhè mén kè cèzhòng kǒuyǔ) means this course focuses on speaking.