尾 meaning and stroke order
Tail; extremity, end; back, rear
How to write 尾, stroke by stroke
7 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
- 7
Meaning of 尾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- tail
- remainder
- remnant
- extremity
- sixth of the 28 constellations
- classifier for fish
- horse's tail
- pointed posterior section of a locust etc
How 尾 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A furry 毛 tail behind a body 尸.
Radical: 尸 (body), shared by 40 characters on this site.
How to remember 尾
The top part 尸 looks like a body seen from the side, and 毛 (máo, fur) hangs below it. Picture a furry tail sticking out behind an animal's body.
尾 (wěi) means tail, and by extension the end or back part of something, as in 结尾 (jiéwěi, ending) or 船尾 (chuánwěi, stern). In everyday speech the word for an animal's tail is 尾巴. Example: 小狗摇尾巴。(Xiǎo gǒu yáo wěiba.) The puppy wags its tail.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 尸 with 毛 squeezed beside it instead of tucked underneath, or mix 尾 up with 屋 (wū, house), which shares the same 尸 top. Also note that 尾巴 is often pronounced yǐba in casual speech, so do not be confused when you hear yǐ.
Common words with 尾
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 尾巴 | wěiba | tail; colloquial pr. [yi3 ba5] | HSK 4 |
| 结尾 | jiéwěi | ending; coda | HSK 7-9 |
| 尾声 | wěishēng | coda; epilogue | HSK 7-9 |
| 尾气 | wěiqì | exhaust; emissions | HSK 7-9 |
| 追尾 | zhuīwěi | to tailgate; to hit the car in front as a result of tailgating | HSK 7-9 |
| 鸡尾酒 | jīwěijiǔ | (calque) cocktail | |
| 从头到尾 | cóngtóudàowěi | from start to finish; from head to tail | |
| 船尾 | chuánwěi | back end of a ship; aft | |
| 彻头彻尾 | chètóuchèwěi | lit. from head to tail (idiom); thoroughgoing; through and through | |
| 收尾 | shōuwěi | to wind up; to bring to an end | |
| 燕尾服 | yànwěifú | swallow-tailed coat; tails | |
| 尾随 | wěisuí | to tail behind; to tag along | |
| 尾部 | wěibù | back part; rear section; tail section | |
| 响尾蛇 | xiǎngwěishé | rattlesnake |
尾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 尾
Learning 尾 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 尾
How many strokes are in 尾?
尾 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 尾 mean?
尾 (wěi) means tail; extremity, end; back, rear. A common word with it is 尾巴 (wěiba), meaning "tail; colloquial pr. [yi3 ba5]".
How do you pronounce 尾?
尾 is pronounced wěi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 尾?
The radical of 尾 is 尸, which carries the idea of "body". Dictionaries list 尾 under this radical.
Is 尾 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 尾 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why is 尾 used to count fish?
尾 is a classifier for fish, as in 一尾鱼 (yì wěi yú, one fish). It sounds more literary or regional. In everyday Mandarin most people say 一条鱼 (yì tiáo yú).
What does 追尾 mean in traffic?
追尾 (zhuīwěi) literally means chasing the tail. It describes a rear-end collision, when a car hits the one in front. Example: 前面两辆车追尾了。(Qiánmiàn liǎng liàng chē zhuīwěi le.) Two cars ahead had a rear-end crash.