器 meaning and stroke order
Device, instrument, tool; receptacle, vessel
How to write 器, stroke by stroke
16 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 器
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- device
- tool
- utensil
How 器 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Four cooking vessels 口 guarded by a dog 犬.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 器
Picture four cooking vessels 口 arranged around a dog 犬 in the middle, guarding them. Valuable vessels and tools worth guarding are what 器 (qì) means.
器 (qì) rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in compound words for devices, machines and containers, often as a suffix meaning "-er" or "device," as in 充电器 (chōngdiànqì, charger) and 热水器 (rèshuǐqì, water heater). Example: 我忘了带充电器。(Wǒ wàng le dài chōngdiànqì.) I forgot to bring my charger.
Common mistake: Learners often write the middle part as 大 (dà) and forget the dot of 犬 (quǎn), which sits on the upper right. Some also confuse 器 with 哭 (kū, to cry), which has only two 口 on top and the same 犬 below.
Common words with 器
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 武器 | wǔqì | weapon; arms | HSK 3 |
| 机器 | jīqì | machine | HSK 3 |
| 器官 | qìguān | (physiology) organ; apparatus | HSK 4 |
| 充电器 | chōngdiànqì | battery charger | HSK 4 |
| 机器人 | jīqìrén | robot; android | HSK 5 |
| 仪器 | yíqì | instrument; apparatus | HSK 6 |
| 电器 | diànqì | (electrical) appliance; device | HSK 6 |
| 热水器 | rèshuǐqì | water heater | HSK 6 |
| 服务器 | fúwùqì | server (computer) | HSK 7-9 |
| 核武器 | héwǔqì | nuclear weapon | HSK 7-9 |
| 乐器 | yuèqì | musical instrument | HSK 7-9 |
| 器材 | qìcái | equipment; material | HSK 7-9 |
| 瓷器 | cíqì | chinaware; porcelain | HSK 7-9 |
| 显示器 | xiǎnshìqì | display device; monitor | HSK 7-9 |
器 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 器
How many strokes are in 器?
器 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 器 mean?
器 (qì) means device, instrument, tool; receptacle, vessel. A common word with it is 武器 (wǔqì), meaning "weapon; arms".
How do you pronounce 器?
器 is pronounced qì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 器?
The radical of 器 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 器 under this radical.
Is 器 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 器 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
How is 器 different from 机 when talking about machines?
机 (jī) suggests something with moving parts or a mechanism, like 飞机 (fēijī, airplane). 器 (qì) is broader and covers tools, appliances, containers and instruments. They combine in 机器 (jīqì), the general word for machine.
Can 器 describe a person?
Yes, in some fixed expressions it refers to a person's capacity or talent. For example, 大器晚成 (dà qì wǎn chéng) means a great talent matures late. This sense is literary and mostly appears in idioms.