卻 meaning and stroke order
Still, but; decline; retreat
How to write 卻, stroke by stroke
9 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 卻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- but
- yet
- however
- while
- to go back
- to decline
How 卻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Seal.
卩 gives the meaning and 谷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 卩 (seal), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 卻
卻 is built from 谷 (gǔ, valley) on the left, which gives the sound, and 卩 (a kneeling person, shown as a seal) on the right, which gives the meaning. Picture someone kneeling at the edge of a valley and stepping back, which links to the senses "retreat" and "decline."
Most often 卻 is an adverb meaning "but" or "yet." It goes after the subject and before the verb, and it marks a result that goes against what you expected. Example: 他很累，卻不想睡。(Tā hěn lèi, què bù xiǎng shuì.) He is tired, yet he doesn't want to sleep.
Common mistake: Learners often put 卻 at the start of a sentence like English "but." It has to come after the subject: say 我卻不知道, not 卻我不知道. If you want a word at the start of the clause, use 但是 (dànshì).
Common words with 卻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Characters that contain 卻
Learning 卻 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 卻
How many strokes are in 卻?
卻 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 卻 mean?
卻 (què) means still, but; decline; retreat. A common word with it is 却是 (què shì), meaning "nevertheless; actually".
How do you pronounce 卻?
卻 is pronounced què, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 卻?
The radical of 卻 is 卩, which carries the idea of "seal". Dictionaries list 卻 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 卻?
卻 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 却, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 卻 and 却?
They are the same word. 卻 is the form used in traditional writing, and 却 is the standard simplified form used in mainland China. The common words in this entry, such as 冷却 and 忘却, are written with 却.
How is 卻 different from 但是?
但是 (dànshì) is a conjunction that starts a clause. 卻 is an adverb that sits before the verb, and it puts more stress on the contrast or surprise. You can use them together, as in 但是他卻沒來 (dànshì tā què méi lái), "but he didn't come after all."