却 meaning and stroke order
But; yet; however
How to write 却, 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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Meaning of 却
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- but
- yet
- however
- while
- to go back
- to decline
How 却 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Seal.
卩 gives the meaning and 去 hints at the sound.
Radical: 卩 (seal), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 却
却 is built from 去 (qù, to go), which also hints at the sound, plus 卩, a seal or kneeling figure. Picture someone who was about to go (去) but kneels down (卩) and backs away, which gives the senses "retreat" and "but."
In modern Chinese 却 is mostly an adverb meaning "but" or "yet." It goes after the subject and before the verb to show a contrast with what came before. Example: 他很累，却不想睡。(Tā hěn lèi, què bù xiǎng shuì.) He is tired, yet he doesn't want to sleep.
Common mistake: Learners often put 却 at the start of a clause like 但是 (dànshì), as in 却他不想睡, which is wrong. 却 must come after the subject: 他却不想睡. Also note the right side is 卩, not 阝, and the left is 去, not 土.
Common words with 却
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
却 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 却
Learning 却 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 却
How many strokes are in 却?
却 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 却 mean?
却 (què) means but; yet; however. A common word with it is 却是 (què shì), meaning "nevertheless; actually".
How do you pronounce 却?
却 is pronounced què, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 却?
The radical of 却 is 卩, which carries the idea of "seal". Dictionaries list 却 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 却?
The traditional form of 却 is 㕁 and 卻. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 却 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 却 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 却 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 却 and 但是?
但是 is a conjunction that starts a clause, while 却 is an adverb that sits right before the verb. They can appear together, as in 但是他却没来 (dànshì tā què méi lái), but he didn't come. 却 often adds a sense of surprise or unexpectedness.
Does 却 still mean "retreat" or "decline" in modern Chinese?
On its own, rarely. These older meanings mainly survive in set words like 退却 (tuìquè, to retreat) and 推却 (tuīquè, to decline). In 忘却 (wàngquè) and 了却 (liǎoquè), 却 adds a sense of putting something away or finishing it off.