塞 meaning and stroke order
To plug; to stop up; to stuff in; (bound form) a stopper; a cork
How to write 塞, stroke by stroke
13 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 塞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to plug; to stop up; to stuff in
- (bound form) a stopper; a cork
- (bound form) strategic stronghold
- (bound form) to block; to obstruct
How 塞 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Earth.
土 gives the meaning.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 塞
Picture a house roof 宀 on top, a jumble of stuff crammed in the middle, and earth 土 at the bottom. You stuff a room full of things and pack the gap with dirt until it is sealed shut.
In everyday speech 塞 is read sāi and means to stuff or squeeze something in, as in 塞满 (sāimǎn) and 塞车 (sāichē). In formal words meaning to block it is read sè, as in 堵塞 (dǔsè), and in words about forts it is read sài, as in 要塞 (yàosài). Example: 他把钱塞进口袋里。(Tā bǎ qián sāi jìn kǒudai lǐ.) He stuffed the money into his pocket.
Common mistake: Learners often say 堵塞 as dǔsāi, but the standard reading is dǔsè, and 要塞 is yàosài. Also do not confuse 塞 with 赛 (sài, competition), which has 贝 at the bottom instead of 土.
Common words with 塞
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
塞 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 塞
How many strokes are in 塞?
塞 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 塞 mean?
塞 (sāi) means to plug; to stop up; to stuff in; (bound form) a stopper; a cork. A common word with it is 堵塞 (dǔsè), meaning "to clog up; blockage".
How do you pronounce 塞?
塞 is pronounced sāi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 塞?
The radical of 塞 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 塞 under this radical.
Is 塞 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 塞 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I know which reading of 塞 to use?
Use sāi when it is a spoken verb for stuffing or plugging, or in 塞子 (sāizi). Use sè in formal compounds about blockage like 阻塞 (zǔsè), and sài in words about frontier passes and forts like 要塞 (yàosài).
What does 哇塞 mean and is it polite?
哇塞 (wāsāi) is a slang exclamation like "wow" used to show surprise or amazement. It is very common among young people but is casual, so avoid it in formal situations.