兮 meaning and stroke order
Exclamatory particle
How to write 兮, stroke by stroke
4 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
Meaning of 兮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (particle in old Chinese similar to 啊)
How 兮 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 八 (eight), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 兮
Picture 八 (bā) on top as breath spreading out from the mouth, and 丂 below as a voice bending and trailing off. Together they look like a long sigh, which fits a particle used to add feeling to a line.
In classical poetry, 兮 sits in the middle or at the end of a line as a pause or sigh, much like 啊 (a) today. In modern speech you meet it mostly in the reduplicated suffix 兮兮 (xīxī), which exaggerates an adjective, often with a negative or pitying tone. 他的衣服脏兮兮的。(Tā de yīfu zāngxīxī de.) His clothes are filthy.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 兮 with 号 (hào), which has 口 on top instead of 八, or with 兑 (duì). Also, 兮兮 attaches only to set adjectives like 脏, 可怜 and 神经, so do not add it freely to any adjective such as 好.
Common words with 兮
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 脏兮兮 | zāngxīxī | dirty; filthy | |
| 兮兮 | xīxī | (particle used to exaggerate certain adjectives, in particular 神經兮兮|神经兮兮, 髒兮兮|脏兮兮, 可憐兮兮|可怜 |
兮 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 兮
How many strokes are in 兮?
兮 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 兮 mean?
兮 (xī) means exclamatory particle. A common word with it is 脏兮兮 (zāngxīxī), meaning "dirty; filthy".
How do you pronounce 兮?
兮 is pronounced xī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 兮?
The radical of 兮 is 八, which carries the idea of "eight". Dictionaries list 兮 under this radical.
What does 可怜兮兮 mean?
可怜兮兮 (kěliánxīxī) means looking pitiful or pathetic, often used for someone acting sad to get sympathy. Like other 兮兮 words, it is usually followed by 的 in a sentence.
Where would I see 兮 used on its own?
You mainly see it in classical poems, such as the Chu Ci (楚辞) and the famous line 风萧萧兮易水寒 (fēng xiāoxiāo xī Yì Shuǐ hán). It is not used alone in everyday modern conversation.