弈 meaning and stroke order
Chinese chess
How to write 弈, 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
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- 8
- 9
Meaning of 弈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ancient name for go (Chinese board game)
How 弈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hands.
廾 gives the meaning and 亦 hints at the sound.
Radical: 廾 (two hands), shared by 10 characters on this site.
How to remember 弈
The top part 亦 (yì) gives the sound, and the bottom 廾 shows two hands. Picture two hands placing stones on a board while you say yì.
弈 originally named the board game go, and today it appears mostly in literary words for playing board games or for strategic contests. The most common word is 对弈 (duìyì), to play a game against someone. Example: 两位老人在公园里对弈。(Liǎng wèi lǎorén zài gōngyuán lǐ duìyì.) Two old men are playing a board game in the park.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 弈 with 奕 (yì), which has the same sound and the same top 亦 but has 大 at the bottom and appears in 神采奕奕 (full of vigor). Remember that the game character has hands 廾 underneath, because you play with your hands.
Common words with 弈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 对弈 | duìyì | to play go, chess etc | HSK 7-9 |
弈 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 弈
How many strokes are in 弈?
弈 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 弈 mean?
弈 (yì) means Chinese chess. A common word with it is 对弈 (duìyì), meaning "to play go, chess etc".
How do you pronounce 弈?
弈 is pronounced yì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 弈?
The radical of 弈 is 廾, which carries the idea of "two hands". Dictionaries list 弈 under this radical.
Is 弈 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 弈 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 弈 used for xiangqi or for go?
In ancient Chinese, 弈 meant go, which is now usually called 围棋 (wéiqí). In modern words like 对弈, it can refer to playing go, Chinese chess, or other board games.
What does 博弈 mean?
博弈 (bóyì) originally meant gambling and board games. Today it is used to talk about strategic competition, and it is the standard term for game theory in 博弈论 (bóyìlùn).