協 meaning and stroke order
To assist; to cooperate, to join; to harmonize
How to write 協, stroke by stroke
8 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
Meaning of 協
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cooperate
- to harmonize
- to help
- to assist
- to join
How 協 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cooperate.
劦 gives the meaning and 十 hints at the sound.
Radical: 十 (ten), shared by 23 characters on this site.
How to remember 協
協 has 十 (shí, ten) next to 劦, which is three 力 (lì, strength) together. Picture ten people pulling with combined strength, and you get the idea of cooperating and helping.
協 rarely stands alone and mostly appears in compound words about working together, such as 協助 (xiézhù, to assist), 協商 (xiéshāng, to consult) and 協議 (xiéyì, agreement). Example: 雙方簽了協議。(Shuāngfāng qiān le xiéyì.) Both sides signed an agreement.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as a single 力 or two 力 instead of three, or confuse 協 with 脅 (xié, to threaten), which has the same sound but 月 at the bottom. Remember that 協 is about helping, while 脅 is about threatening.
Common words with 協
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 協議 | xiéyì | agreement; pact | HSK 5 |
| 協議書 | xiéyìshū | contract; protocol | HSK 5 |
| 協助 | xiézhù | to provide assistance; to aid | HSK 6 |
| 協會 | xiéhuì | an association; a society | HSK 6 |
| 協調 | xiétiáo | to coordinate; to harmonize | HSK 6 |
| 協商 | xiéshāng | to consult with; to talk things over | HSK 6 |
| 妥協 | tuǒxié | to compromise; to reach terms | HSK 7-9 |
| 協定 | xiédìng | agreement; accord | HSK 7-9 |
| 齊心協力 | qíxīn-xiélì | to work with a common purpose (idiom); to make concerted efforts; to pull together | HSK 7-9 |
| 協作 | xiézuò | cooperation; coordination | HSK 7-9 |
| 協同 | xiétóng | to cooperate; in coordination with | HSK 7-9 |
| 達成協議 | dáchéngxiéyì | to reach agreement | |
| 同心協力 | tóngxīnxiélì | to work with a common purpose (idiom); to make concerted efforts; to pull together | |
| 協力 | xiélì | to unite in common effort |
Questions about 協
How many strokes are in 協?
協 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 協 mean?
協 (xié) means to assist; to cooperate, to join; to harmonize. A common word with it is 协议 (xiéyì), meaning "agreement; pact".
How do you pronounce 協?
協 is pronounced xié, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 協?
The radical of 協 is 十, which carries the idea of "ten". Dictionaries list 協 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 協?
協 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 协, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 協助 and 幫助?
Both mean to help, but 協助 (xiézhù) is more formal and suggests assisting someone who is in charge of a task. 幫助 (bāngzhù) is the everyday word for helping in general.
Why is 協 written 协 in mainland China?
In simplified Chinese, 协 replaces 十 with 忄 and reduces the three 力 to one 力 with two dots. The meaning and the pronunciation xié are the same, and words like 协会 (xiéhuì) correspond directly to 協會.