喜 meaning and stroke order
To love; to enjoy, to be happy; joyful, glad
How to write 喜, stroke by stroke
12 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
- 4
- 5
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- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 喜
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to be fond of
- to like
- to enjoy
- to be happy
- to feel pleased
- happiness
How 喜 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Singing 口 and beating drums 壴.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 喜
The top part 壴 is a drum on a stand, and the bottom 口 (kǒu) is a mouth. Picture people beating drums and singing at a celebration, and you have 喜 (xǐ), joy.
喜 (xǐ) rarely stands alone in daily speech. It usually appears in words like 喜欢 (xǐhuan, to like) and 恭喜 (gōngxǐ, congratulations). Example: 我喜欢喝茶。(Wǒ xǐhuan hē chá.) I like drinking tea.
Common mistake: In 喜欢, the second syllable is usually said in the neutral tone as xǐhuan, not xǐ huān with a full first tone. Learners also miscopy the top part, so remember it is 士 over a short line, a small 口, and a flat stroke 䒑 shape before the bottom 口.
Common words with 喜
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 喜欢 | xǐhuan | to like; to be fond of; to be happy; to be pleased | HSK 1 |
| 喜爱 | xǐ'ài | to like; to love | HSK 4 |
| 喜剧 | xǐjù | a comedy | HSK 5 |
| 惊喜 | jīngxǐ | nice surprise; to be pleasantly surprised | HSK 6 |
| 恭喜 | gōngxǐ | to congratulate; (interj.) congratulations! | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜悦 | xǐyuè | happy; joyous | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜好 | xǐhào | to like; fond of | HSK 7-9 |
| 讨人喜欢 | tǎo rén xǐhuan | to attract people's affection; charming | HSK 7-9 |
| 欣喜 | xīnxǐ | happy | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜酒 | xǐjiǔ | wedding feast; liquor drunk at a wedding feast | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜事 | xǐshì | happy occasion; wedding | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜庆 | xǐqìng | jubilation; festive | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜糖 | xǐtáng | sweet given on a happy occasion (esp. wedding) | HSK 7-9 |
| 喜洋洋 | xǐyángyáng | radiant with joy | HSK 7-9 |
喜 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 喜
Learning 喜 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 喜
How many strokes are in 喜?
喜 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 喜 mean?
喜 (xǐ) means to love; to enjoy, to be happy; joyful, glad. A common word with it is 喜欢 (xǐhuan), meaning "to like; to be fond of; to be happy; to be pleased".
How do you pronounce 喜?
喜 is pronounced xǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 喜?
The radical of 喜 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 喜 under this radical.
Is 喜 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 喜 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 喜欢 and 喜爱?
喜欢 (xǐhuan) is the everyday word for liking something or someone. 喜爱 (xǐ'ài) means much the same but sounds more formal or written, as in 深受观众喜爱 (deeply loved by audiences).
What does the double 喜 symbol at Chinese weddings mean?
That symbol is 囍, called 双喜 (shuāngxǐ, double happiness). It is two 喜 side by side and is used as a decoration at weddings to wish the couple joy.