嘅 meaning and stroke order
The sound of a sigh
How to write 嘅, 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.
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Meaning of 嘅
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- possessive particle (Cantonese)
- Mandarin equivalent: 的[de5]
How 嘅 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 既 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嘅
嘅 puts a mouth 口 next to 既 (jì), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth letting out a long sigh, the sound kǎi.
In standard Mandarin 嘅 is rare. It is best known as the Cantonese possessive particle (gě, ge3 in Jyutping), which works like Mandarin 的 (de). Example: 我嘅書 (Cantonese: ngo5 ge3 syu1), meaning "my book", is 我的书 (wǒ de shū) in Mandarin.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 嘅 with 慨 (kǎi), as in 感慨 (gǎnkǎi, to sigh with emotion). Both share 既 and the sound kǎi, but 慨 uses the heart radical 忄 and is the one used in Mandarin words.
Questions about 嘅
How many strokes are in 嘅?
嘅 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 嘅 mean?
嘅 (kǎi) means the sound of a sigh.
How do you pronounce 嘅?
嘅 is pronounced kǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 嘅?
The radical of 嘅 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嘅 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 嘅?
嘅 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 慨, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do I see 嘅 so often in Hong Kong texts?
Written Cantonese uses 嘅 constantly as its version of 的. You will find it in Hong Kong subtitles, ads, comics, and online chats.
Should I use 嘅 when writing Mandarin?
No. In Mandarin writing use 的 (de) for possession. 嘅 will look like Cantonese to a Mandarin reader.