奎 meaning and stroke order
A man's stride; a constellation
How to write 奎, stroke by stroke
9 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
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- 9
Meaning of 奎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- crotch
- 15th of the 28th constellations of Chinese astronomy
How 奎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Big.
大 gives the meaning and 圭 hints at the sound.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 奎
A big person 大 stands with legs spread wide over 圭 (guī), which gives the sound. Picture the wide gap between the legs, the crotch, or a long stride.
奎 is rare in daily speech. It mostly appears as the name of the 15th lunar mansion, 奎宿 (kuí xiù), and in personal names and surnames. Example: 他叫李奎。(Tā jiào Lǐ Kuí.) His name is Li Kui.
Common mistake: Learners often read it as guī because of the phonetic part 圭. The correct reading is kuí with a second tone. Also do not confuse it with 魁 (kuí, chief, leader), which sounds the same but has 鬼 in it.
Questions about 奎
How many strokes are in 奎?
奎 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 奎 mean?
奎 (kuí) means a man's stride; a constellation.
How do you pronounce 奎?
奎 is pronounced kuí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 奎?
The radical of 奎 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 奎 under this radical.
Is 奎 the same character as 魁 in names like 魁梧?
No. 魁 (kuí) means chief or tall and sturdy, as in 魁梧 (kuíwú). 奎 is a different character used for the constellation and in names, even though both are read kuí.
Why is 奎 linked to literature and scholarship?
In traditional Chinese culture the 奎 star mansion was associated with writing and learning. That is why some old libraries and pavilions have 奎 in their names.