唏 meaning and stroke order
To weep, to sob; to grieve
How to write 唏, stroke by stroke
10 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 唏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sound of sobbing
How 唏 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 希 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 唏
The mouth 口 on the left tells you this is a sound, and 希 (xī) on the right gives the pronunciation. Picture a mouth letting out a soft "xī" sound while someone sobs.
唏 rarely appears alone. It usually shows up in set words like 唏嘘 (xīxū), which means to sigh or sob, often with a feeling of regret or emotion. Example: 听完他的故事，大家都唏嘘不已。(Tīng wán tā de gùshi, dàjiā dōu xīxū bùyǐ.) After hearing his story, everyone kept sighing with emotion.
Common mistake: Learners often write 稀 (xī, sparse) or 希 (xī, hope) instead of 唏 in 唏嘘, because all three sound the same. If the word is about a sound made by the mouth, such as sighing or sobbing, you need the 口 radical.
Questions about 唏
How many strokes are in 唏?
唏 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 唏 mean?
唏 (xī) means to weep, to sob; to grieve.
How do you pronounce 唏?
唏 is pronounced xī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 唏?
The radical of 唏 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 唏 under this radical.
What does 唏嘘 mean in modern Chinese?
Today 唏嘘 (xīxū) mostly means to sigh with feeling, for example when people hear a sad or moving story. It is more about emotional reaction and regret than loud crying.
Is 唏 used in everyday speech?
Not very often on its own. You will mostly see it in written Chinese, news, and stories, especially in phrases like 唏嘘不已 (xīxū bùyǐ, to keep sighing).