卫 meaning and stroke order
To guard, to protect, to defend
How to write 卫, stroke by stroke
3 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
Meaning of 卫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to guard
- to protect
- to defend
- abbr. for 衛生|卫生, hygiene
- health
- abbr. for 衛生間|卫生间, toilet
How 卫 is built
Components of the character.
How to remember 卫
Picture 卫 as a guard post: the hooked stroke 乛 on top is a raised arm or barrier, and the flat line 一 at the bottom is the ground being protected. Someone stands with arm up, guarding the line.
On its own 卫 is rare in speech. It mostly appears in words like 保卫 (bǎowèi, to defend), 卫生 (wèishēng, hygiene) and 卫星 (wèixīng, satellite). Example: 请问，卫生间在哪儿？ (Qǐngwèn, wèishēngjiān zài nǎr?) Excuse me, where is the bathroom?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 卫 with 卩 or 卬 because of the hook shape. Make sure 卫 has the long flat bottom stroke. Also say it with a falling fourth tone, wèi, not the second-tone wéi of 为 or 围.
Common words with 卫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 卫生间 | wèishēngjiān | bathroom; toilet | HSK 3 |
| 卫生 | wèishēng | hygienic; sanitary; hygiene; sanitation | HSK 3 |
| 卫星 | wèixīng | (aerospace) satellite; (astronomy) satellite; moon | HSK 5 |
| 保卫 | bǎowèi | to defend; to safeguard | HSK 5 |
| 防卫 | fángwèi | to defend; defensive | HSK 7-9 |
| 自卫 | zìwèi | to defend oneself; self-defense | HSK 7-9 |
| 捍卫 | hànwèi | to defend; to uphold; to safeguard | HSK 7-9 |
| 卫视 | wèishì | satellite TV (abbr. for 衛星電視|卫星电视[wei4 xing1 dian4 shi4]) | HSK 7-9 |
| 警卫 | jǐngwèi | to stand guard over; (security) guard | |
| 守卫 | shǒuwèi | to guard; to defend | |
| 护卫 | hùwèi | to guard; to protect | |
| 卫兵 | wèibīng | guard; bodyguard | |
| 卫队 | wèiduì | guard (i.e. group of soldiers) | |
| 后卫 | hòuwèi | rear guard; backfield |
卫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 卫
How many strokes are in 卫?
卫 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 卫 mean?
卫 (wèi) means to guard, to protect, to defend. A common word with it is 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān), meaning "bathroom; toilet".
How do you pronounce 卫?
卫 is pronounced wèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 卫?
The radical of 卫 is 乛. Dictionaries list 卫 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 卫?
The traditional form of 卫 is 衛. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 卫 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 卫 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 卫 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why does 卫 appear in the word for satellite?
卫星 (wèixīng) literally means a guarding star, a body that stays close to and circles a planet. The same 卫 shows up in 卫视 (wèishì), short for satellite TV, which you will see in Chinese TV channel names.
Is 卫生间 the same as 厕所?
Both mean toilet. 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān) sounds more polite and is common in homes, hotels and signs, while 厕所 (cèsuǒ) is more direct and used for public toilets too.