忆 meaning and stroke order
To remember, to reflect upon; memory
How to write 忆, stroke by stroke
4 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
Meaning of 忆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to recollect
- to remember
- memory
How 忆 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 乙 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 忆
忆 is pictophonetic: the heart radical 忄 on the left gives the meaning, and 乙 (yǐ) on the right hints at the sound. Picture a thought curling back like the hook of 乙 into your heart, bringing up a memory.
忆 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 记忆 (jìyì, memory) and 回忆 (huíyì, to recall; memories). Example: 这是我最美好的回忆。(Zhè shì wǒ zuì měihǎo de huíyì.) This is my most beautiful memory.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 忆 (yì) with 亿 (yì, hundred million), which sounds the same but uses the person radical 亻. If the meaning is about the mind or memory, use the heart radical 忄.
Common words with 忆
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 记忆 | jìyì | to remember; to recall; memory | HSK 5 |
| 回忆 | huíyì | to recall; memories | HSK 5 |
| 回忆录 | huíyìlù | memoir | HSK 7-9 |
| 记忆犹新 | jìyì-yóuxīn | to remain fresh in one's memory (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 失忆 | shīyì | to lose one's memory | |
| 记忆力 | jìyìlì | faculty of memory; ability to remember | |
| 失忆症 | shīyìzhèng | amnesia | |
| 追忆 | zhuīyì | to recollect; to recall (past times) |
忆 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 忆
How many strokes are in 忆?
忆 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 忆 mean?
忆 (yì) means to remember, to reflect upon; memory. A common word with it is 记忆 (jìyì), meaning "to remember; to recall; memory".
How do you pronounce 忆?
忆 is pronounced yì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 忆?
The radical of 忆 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 忆 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 忆?
The traditional form of 忆 is 憶. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 忆 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 忆 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 忆 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 记忆 and 回忆?
记忆 (jìyì) is memory in general, including the ability to remember, as in 记忆力 (jìyìlì). 回忆 (huíyì) means looking back on past experiences, or the memories themselves, and often carries emotion.
Can I say 我忆 to mean I remember?
No, that sounds wrong in everyday Chinese. For simple remembering, use 记得 (jìde), as in 我记得他 (wǒ jìde tā), I remember him. Use 回忆 or 想起 (xiǎngqǐ) for recalling the past.