冶 meaning and stroke order
To smelt, to fuse metals, to cast
How to write 冶, stroke by stroke
7 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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- 7
Meaning of 冶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to smelt
- to cast
- seductive in appearance
How 冶 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 冫 (ice), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 冶
冶 (yě) has the ice radical 冫 on the left and 台 (tái) on the right. Picture molten metal poured onto a platform 台, then cooled with ice 冫 until it hardens into a cast shape.
冶 is rarely used alone in modern Chinese and mostly appears in set words like 冶金 (yějīn, metallurgy) and 陶冶 (táoyě, to cultivate or shape someone's character). Example: 音乐可以陶冶性情。(Yīnyuè kěyǐ táoyě xìngqíng.) Music can cultivate one's temperament.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 冶 (yě) with 治 (zhì, to govern, to treat). They look almost the same, but 冶 has two dots 冫 and 治 has three dots 氵. Think of ice 冫 cooling metal for 冶, and water 氵 for 治 as in 治理 (zhìlǐ).
Common words with 冶
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 陶冶 | táoyě | lit. to fire pots and smelt metal; fig. to educate | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 冶
How many strokes are in 冶?
冶 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 冶 mean?
冶 (yě) means to smelt, to fuse metals, to cast. A common word with it is 陶冶 (táoyě), meaning "lit. to fire pots and smelt metal; fig. to educate".
How do you pronounce 冶?
冶 is pronounced yě, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 冶?
The radical of 冶 is 冫, which carries the idea of "ice". Dictionaries list 冶 under this radical.
Is 冶 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 冶 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 陶冶 mean in everyday Chinese?
Literally it means firing pottery and smelting metal. In practice it almost always means shaping or refining a person's character, taste, or mind, often through art, music, or nature.
Can 冶 describe a person's appearance?
Yes. One dictionary sense is seductive in appearance. It appears in literary words like 妖冶 (yāoyě, bewitchingly pretty), but this use is mainly found in written or literary Chinese.