匙 meaning and stroke order
Spoon; surname
How to write 匙, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 匙
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- spoon
- used in 鑰匙|钥匙[yao4 shi5]
How 匙 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Spoon.
匕 gives the meaning and 是 hints at the sound.
Radical: 匕 (spoon), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 匙
The part 匕 (bǐ) is an old picture of a spoon or ladle, so it gives the meaning, and 是 (shì) sits on top of it to give the sound. Picture a spoon 匕 scooping under the word 是 to remember 匙.
Read chí, 匙 means spoon and appears in words like 汤匙 (tāngchí, soup spoon) and 茶匙 (cháchí, teaspoon). Its most common use is in 钥匙 (yàoshi, key), where it is read in the neutral tone. Example: 我找不到钥匙了。(Wǒ zhǎo bú dào yàoshi le.) I can't find my keys.
Common mistake: Learners often say yàochí for 钥匙. In 钥匙 it is read shi with a neutral tone, not chí. Also note that 匕 wraps under 是 from the left, so do not write it as two side-by-side parts.
Common words with 匙
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
匙 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 匙
How many strokes are in 匙?
匙 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 匙 mean?
匙 (chí) means spoon; surname. A common word with it is 钥匙 (yàoshi), meaning "key".
How do you pronounce 匙?
匙 has more than one reading: chí and shī. The most common is chí, said in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 匙?
The radical of 匙 is 匕, which carries the idea of "spoon". Dictionaries list 匙 under this radical.
Is 匙 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 匙 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 匙 the normal word for spoon in everyday Chinese?
In mainland speech, people usually say 勺子 (sháozi) or 调羹 (tiáogēng) for a spoon. 匙 alone sounds more formal, and it mostly shows up in compounds like 汤匙 and 茶匙.
How do I say I lost my key using 钥匙?
You can say 我的钥匙丢了。(Wǒ de yàoshi diū le.) My key is lost. The measure word for keys is 把 (bǎ), as in 一把钥匙 (yì bǎ yàoshi), one key.