威 meaning and stroke order
Might, power, prestige; to dominate
How to write 威, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
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- 8
- 9
Meaning of 威
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- power
- might
- prestige
How 威 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Dominating a woman 女 by force of arms 戈.
Radical: 女 (woman), shared by 156 characters on this site.
How to remember 威
The character 威 (wēi) wraps a woman 女 inside the weapon shape 戌, which contains the halberd 戈. Picture someone ruling over others by force of arms, and you have might and power.
威 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words about power and authority such as 威胁 (wēixié, to threaten), 权威 (quánwēi, authority) and 威力 (wēilì, might). Example: 他威胁要辞职。(Tā wēixié yào cízhí.) He threatened to resign.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 威 with 咸 (xián, salty) or 成 (chéng, to become), which share a similar 戈-based frame. Check the inside: 威 has 女 tucked under the frame, while 咸 has 口 and a horizontal stroke.
Common words with 威
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 威胁 | wēixié | to threaten; to menace | HSK 6 |
| 威力 | wēilì | might; formidable power | HSK 7-9 |
| 权威 | quánwēi | authority; authoritative | HSK 7-9 |
| 示威 | shìwēi | to demonstrate (as a protest); a demonstration | HSK 7-9 |
| 威风 | wēifēng | awe-inspiring bearing; authority; power; imposing; impressive; majestic | HSK 7-9 |
| 威信 | wēixìn | prestige; reputation | HSK 7-9 |
| 威慑 | wēishè | to deter | HSK 7-9 |
| 助威 | zhùwēi | to cheer for; to encourage | HSK 7-9 |
| 威士忌 | wēishìjì | whiskey (loanword) | |
| 示威者 | shìwēizhě | demonstrator; protester | |
| 威严 | wēiyán | dignified; imposing | |
| 威猛 | wēiměng | bold and powerful | |
| 威望 | wēiwàng | prestige | |
| 威德 | wēidé | power and virtue |
威 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 威
How many strokes are in 威?
威 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 威 mean?
威 (wēi) means might, power, prestige; to dominate. A common word with it is 威胁 (wēixié), meaning "to threaten; to menace".
How do you pronounce 威?
威 is pronounced wēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 威?
The radical of 威 is 女, which carries the idea of "woman". Dictionaries list 威 under this radical.
Is 威 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 威 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 威胁 and 威慑?
威胁 (wēixié) means to threaten someone, often openly, as in threatening to do something harmful. 威慑 (wēishè) means to deter, using a show of strength so that others do not act. 威慑 is common in military and policy language.
How do you say someone looks impressive or acts proud with 威?
Use 威风 (wēifēng), as in 他穿上制服很威风 (Tā chuān shàng zhìfú hěn wēifēng), he looks impressive in his uniform. It can also hint at showing off, as in 耍威风 (shuǎ wēifēng), to throw one's weight around.