卡 meaning and stroke order
To stop; to block; (computing) (coll.) slow
How to write 卡, stroke by stroke
5 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
Meaning of 卡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to stop
- to block
- (computing) (coll.) slow
- (loanword) card
- truck (from "car")
- calorie (abbr. for 卡路里[ka3 lu4 li3])
- to block
- to be stuck
- to be wedged
- customs station
- a clip
- a fastener
How 卡 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A card squeezed between 上 and 下.
Radical: 卜 (divination), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 卡
卡 is built from 上 (shàng, up) on top of 卜, which looks like the bottom half of 下 (xià, down). Picture a card squeezed and stuck between up and down, which gives you both meanings: a card, and being stuck.
As kǎ, it most often means a card, as in 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ, credit card) and 银行卡 (yínhángkǎ, bank card). It also appears in loanwords like 卡车 (kǎchē, truck) and 卡通 (kǎtōng, cartoon). Example: 我可以刷卡吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma? Can I pay by card?)
Common mistake: Learners often read every 卡 as kǎ, but the sense of being stuck or wedged is usually qiǎ, as in 卡子 (qiǎzi, clip) or 鱼刺卡在喉咙里 (yúcì qiǎ zài hóulóng lǐ, a fish bone is stuck in the throat). Also keep 上 on top. Writing 下 on top or forgetting the dot on 卜 makes it a different shape.
Common words with 卡
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 信用卡 | xìnyòngkǎ | credit card | HSK 2 |
| 银行卡 | yínhángkǎ | bank card | HSK 2 |
| 贺卡 | hèkǎ | greeting card; congratulation card | HSK 5 |
| 卡车 | kǎchē | truck | HSK 7-9 |
| 卡片 | kǎpiàn | card | HSK 7-9 |
| 卡通 | kǎtōng | cartoon (loanword) | HSK 7-9 |
| 磁卡 | cíkǎ | magnetic card; IC Card (telephone) | HSK 7-9 |
| 卡子 | qiǎzi | clip; hair fastener | HSK 7-9 |
| 一卡通 | yīkǎtōng | the name of various contactless smart cards, notably Yikatong (mainly for public transport | HSK 7-9 |
| 卡拉 | Kǎlā | karaoke; (Tw) (of chicken etc) crispy, deep-fried | |
| 卡住 | kǎzhù | to jam; to choke | |
| 可卡因 | kěkǎyīn | cocaine (loanword) | |
| 卡路里 | kǎlùlǐ | (loanword) calorie | |
| 刷卡 | shuākǎ | to use a credit card (or swipe card, smart card etc) |
卡 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 卡
Learning 卡 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 卡
How many strokes are in 卡?
卡 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 卡 mean?
卡 (kǎ) means to stop; to block; (computing) (coll.) slow. A common word with it is 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ), meaning "credit card".
How do you pronounce 卡?
卡 is pronounced kǎ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 卡?
The radical of 卡 is 卜, which carries the idea of "divination". Dictionaries list 卡 under this radical.
Is 卡 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 卡 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 卡 mean when people say their phone or computer is 卡?
In casual speech, 卡 (kǎ) means slow or lagging, like a device that freezes. For example, 我的电脑好卡 (wǒ de diànnǎo hǎo kǎ) means my computer is really laggy.
How is 卡 used for calories?
卡 is short for 卡路里 (kǎlùlǐ, calorie), a loanword from English. You will see it on food labels and in fitness talk, such as 这个蛋糕有很多卡 (zhège dàngāo yǒu hěn duō kǎ, this cake has a lot of calories).