垂 meaning and stroke order
To hang (down); droop; dangle
How to write 垂, stroke by stroke
8 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 垂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hang (down)
- droop
- dangle
- bend down
- hand down
- bequeath
How 垂 is built
Pictographic character. A tree with drooping branches.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 垂
The etymology hint says 垂 (chuí) pictures a tree with drooping branches. Look at the long top stroke and the short strokes hanging below it as branches bending toward the ground.
垂 is mostly found in set words and idioms rather than alone. Common ones are 下垂 (xiàchuí, to sag), 垂直 (chuízhí, vertical) and 垂头丧气 (chuítóu-sàngqì, dejected). Example: 他垂头丧气地走了。(Tā chuítóu-sàngqì de zǒu le.) He walked off looking crestfallen.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 垂 with 睡 (shuì, to sleep), which contains 垂 on the right side next to 目. Also keep the tone rising: chuí, not chuì or chuī.
Common words with 垂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 垂头丧气 | chuítóu-sàngqì | hanging one's head dispiritedly (idiom); dejected; crestfallen | HSK 7-9 |
| 垂死 | chuísǐ | dying | |
| 垂直 | chuízhí | perpendicular; vertical | |
| 下垂 | xiàchuí | to droop; to sag | |
| 永垂不朽 | yǒngchuíbùxiǔ | eternal glory; will never be forgotten | |
| 垂涎 | chuíxián | to drool; to salivate; (fig.) to covet; to desire greedily | |
| 垂死挣扎 | chuísǐzhēngzhá | deathbed struggle; final struggle (idiom) |
垂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 垂
Learning 垂 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 垂
How many strokes are in 垂?
垂 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 垂 mean?
垂 (chuí) means to hang (down); droop; dangle. A common word with it is 垂头丧气 (chuítóu-sàngqì), meaning "hanging one's head dispiritedly (idiom); dejected; crestfallen".
How do you pronounce 垂?
垂 is pronounced chuí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 垂?
The radical of 垂 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 垂 under this radical.
Is 垂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 垂 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 垂直 mean vertical if 垂 means to hang?
Something that hangs freely falls straight down, like a weight on a string. 垂直 (chuízhí) literally means hanging straight, so it came to mean vertical or perpendicular.
How is 垂 used in 永垂不朽?
Here 垂 carries the sense of handing down to later generations. 永垂不朽 (yǒngchuíbùxiǔ) means a name or deed will be passed down forever and never decay, and it is often used to honor the dead.