徵 meaning and stroke order
To summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journey; invasion
How to write 徵, stroke by stroke
15 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 徵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- 4th note in the ancient Chinese pentatonic scale 五音[wu3 yin1], corresponding to sol
How 徵 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Step.
彳 gives the meaning and 正 hints at the sound.
Radical: 彳 (to step with the left foot), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 徵
On the left is 彳 (step), so think of people marching off. In the middle a king 王 stands under a mountain 山, and on the right 攵 is a hand with a stick: the king sends men over the mountains to summon soldiers and collect taxes.
徵 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In mainland simplified Chinese most of its meanings are written 征, as in 特征 (tèzhēng) and 象征 (xiàngzhēng). Example: 鴿子象徵和平。(Gēzi xiàngzhēng hépíng.) The dove symbolizes peace.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 徵 with 微 (wēi, tiny), which has the same 彳 and 攵 frame. 徵 has 王 under 山 in the middle, while 微 has no 王. Also, when writing simplified Chinese, do not copy 徵 into words like 征收. Use 征.
Common words with 徵
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 特徵 | tèzhēng | characteristic; diagnostic property | HSK 4 |
| 徵求 | zhēngqiú | to solicit; to seek | HSK 4 |
| 象徵 | xiàngzhēng | symbol; emblem; to symbolize; to signify; to represent | HSK 5 |
| 徵收 | zhēngshōu | to levy (a tax); to expropriate | HSK 7-9 |
| 徵集 | zhēngjí | to collect; to recruit | HSK 7-9 |
| 徵兆 | zhēngzhào | omen; sign (that sth is about to happen) | |
| 應徵 | yìngzhēng | to apply (for a job); to reply to a job advertisement | |
| 徵兵 | zhēngbīng | to levy troops; recruitment | |
| 徵召 | zhēngzhào | to enlist; to draft | |
| 象徵性 | xiàngzhēngxìng | symbolic; emblem | |
| 體徵 | tǐzhēng | (medical) sign; physical sign | |
| 綜合徵 | zōnghézhēng | syndrome |
Characters that contain 徵
Learning 徵 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 徵
How many strokes are in 徵?
徵 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 徵 mean?
徵 (zhēng) means to summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journey; invasion. A common word with it is 特征 (tèzhēng), meaning "characteristic; diagnostic property".
How do you pronounce 徵?
徵 is pronounced zhēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 徵?
The radical of 徵 is 彳, which carries the idea of "to step with the left foot". Dictionaries list 徵 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 徵?
徵 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 征, used in mainland China and Singapore.
When is 徵 read zhǐ instead of zhēng?
It is read zhǐ only for the fourth note of the ancient five-note scale 五音 (wǔyīn), roughly sol. This meaning is not simplified to 征, so it stays 徵 even in simplified texts.
Are 徵 and 征 always interchangeable?
Not quite. In traditional writing, 征 alone covers journey and military expedition, as in 征服 (zhēngfú, to conquer). 徵 covers summoning, levying, and signs, as in 徵求 and 特徵. Simplified Chinese merges these meanings into 征.