徙 meaning and stroke order
To move, to shift; to migrate
How to write 徙, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 徙
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) to change one's residence
How 徙 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To step 彳 out on a long journey 歨.
Radical: 彳 (to step with the left foot), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 徙
The left part 彳 means a step, and the right part 歨 stacks two foot shapes, so picture feet stepping out again and again on a long journey. That walking away from home is 徙 (xǐ), to move or migrate.
徙 is literary and rarely stands alone in modern speech. You mostly meet it in the word 迁徙 (qiānxǐ), often used for animals or large groups of people. 候鸟每年都会迁徙。(Hòuniǎo měi nián dōu huì qiānxǐ.) Migratory birds migrate every year.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 徙 with 徒 (tú, apprentice; on foot), which has 走 on the right instead of 歨. Look closely: 徙 has a 止 on top and a smaller foot shape below with no 土.
Common words with 徙
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 迁徙 | qiānxǐ | to migrate; to move |
徙 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 徙
How many strokes are in 徙?
徙 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 徙 mean?
徙 (xǐ) means to move, to shift; to migrate. A common word with it is 迁徙 (qiānxǐ), meaning "to migrate; to move".
How do you pronounce 徙?
徙 is pronounced xǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 徙?
The radical of 徙 is 彳, which carries the idea of "to step with the left foot". Dictionaries list 徙 under this radical.
What is the difference between 迁徙 and 搬家?
搬家 (bānjiā) is the everyday word for moving house. 迁徙 (qiānxǐ) is formal and describes large scale or long distance movement, such as animal migration or population shifts.
Is 徙 used in any idioms?
Yes, for example 徙宅忘妻 (xǐ zhái wàng qī), literally moving house and forgetting one's wife, which describes extreme forgetfulness. Idioms like this keep the old literary meaning of 徙 as changing residence.