径 meaning and stroke order
Path, diameter; straight, direct
How to write 径, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 8
Meaning of 径
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- footpath; path; track; (fig.) a way; a means
- directly; straight
- diameter
- footpath; path; track; (fig.) a way; a means (variant of 徑|径[jing4])
- directly; straight (variant of 徑|径[jing4])
How 径 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Step.
彳 gives the meaning and 工 hints at the sound.
Radical: 彳 (to step with the left foot), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 径
The left side 彳 means a step, so think of walking. On the right, 又 (a hand) sits over 工 (gōng), which gives the sound, so picture a worker taking steps along a narrow, straight path.
径 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese and mostly appears in words like 途径 (tújìng, way, means), 直径 (zhíjìng, diameter) and 捷径 (jiéjìng, shortcut). Example: 学习没有捷径。(Xuéxí méiyǒu jiéjìng.) There is no shortcut to learning.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 径 with 经 (jīng), which has the silk radical 纟 instead of 彳 and a first tone. Remember that 径 uses the walking radical because it is about paths, and it is read with the fourth tone.
Common words with 径
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 途径 | tújìng | way; means; channel | HSK 6 |
| 田径 | tiánjìng | track and field (athletics) | HSK 6 |
| 口径 | kǒujìng | bore; caliber; diameter; aperture; (fig.) stance (on an issue); version (of events); accou | HSK 7-9 |
| 直径 | zhíjìng | diameter | HSK 7-9 |
| 路径 | lùjìng | path; route | |
| 捷径 | jiéjìng | shortcut | |
| 行径 | xíngjìng | (usu. pejorative) conduct; behavior; act; path; trail | |
| 半径 | bànjìng | radius | |
| 径直 | jìngzhí | directly | |
| 小径 | xiǎojìng | alley; trail |
径 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 径
How many strokes are in 径?
径 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 径 mean?
径 (jìng) means path, diameter; straight, direct. A common word with it is 途径 (tújìng), meaning "way; means; channel".
How do you pronounce 径?
径 is pronounced jìng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 径?
The radical of 径 is 彳, which carries the idea of "to step with the left foot". Dictionaries list 径 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 径?
The traditional form of 径 is 徑 and 逕. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 径 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 径 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 径 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 直径 and 半径?
直径 (zhíjìng) is the diameter, the straight line across a circle. 半径 (bànjìng) is the radius, literally half the diameter.
Does 行径 have a negative meaning?
Yes, 行径 (xíngjìng) usually describes bad conduct, as in 可耻的行径 (kěchǐ de xíngjìng), shameful behavior. For neutral behavior, use 行为 (xíngwéi) instead.