吱 meaning and stroke order
To chirp; to hiss; to squeak
How to write 吱, 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 吱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (onom.) creaking or groaning
- (onom.) chirp; squeak; creak
How 吱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 支 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吱
吱 combines 口 (mouth), which points to sound, with 支 (zhī), which gives the pronunciation. Picture a mouth making a thin zhī squeak, like a mouse or a creaky door.
吱 is an onomatopoeia for squeaks, creaks, and chirps, and it often appears doubled or in sound words like 嘎吱 (gāzhī). Example: 门吱的一声开了。(Mén zhī de yì shēng kāi le.) The door creaked open.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 吱 with 枝 (zhī, branch) or 肢 (zhī, limb), which share the phonetic 支 but use a different meaning part. If the word is about a sound, look for the 口 on the left.
Common words with 吱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嘎吱 | gāzhī | (onom.) creak; crunch |
吱 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吱
How many strokes are in 吱?
吱 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 吱 mean?
吱 (zhī) means to chirp; to hiss; to squeak. A common word with it is 嘎吱 (gāzhī), meaning "(onom.) creak; crunch".
How do you pronounce 吱?
吱 is pronounced zhī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 吱?
The radical of 吱 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吱 under this radical.
Is 吱 pronounced zhī or zī?
It has both readings. The dictionary lists zhī for creaking or groaning sounds and zī for chirps and squeaks, such as a mouse or bird. Many speakers say zhī in common sound words like 嘎吱 (gāzhī).
What does 吱声 mean?
吱声 (zhīshēng) is a colloquial way to say make a sound or speak up. It often appears in the negative, as in 他不吱声 (tā bù zhīshēng), he did not say a word.