志 meaning and stroke order
Determination, will; mark, sign; to record, to write
How to write 志, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 志
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- aspiration
- ambition
- the will
- sign
- mark
- to record
How 志 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The mind 心 of a scholar 士; 士 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 志
志 stacks a scholar 士 on top of the heart 心. Picture a scholar whose heart is set on a goal, and you have will and ambition. 士 also hints at the sound.
志 rarely stands alone in modern speech and mostly appears in words like 意志 (yìzhì, willpower), 志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě, volunteer), and 杂志 (zázhì, magazine). Its "mark" and "record" senses survive in 标志 (biāozhì, sign, logo) and 杂志. Example: 我想当志愿者。(Wǒ xiǎng dāng zhìyuànzhě.) I want to be a volunteer.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 土 (tǔ, earth) instead of 士 (shì). In 士 the lower horizontal stroke is shorter than the upper one. Also keep the fourth tone. 志 (zhì) is not 只 (zhǐ) or 知 (zhī).
Common words with 志
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 杂志 | zázhì | magazine | HSK 3 |
| 志愿者 | zhìyuànzhě | volunteer | HSK 3 |
| 志愿 | zhìyuàn | aspiration; ambition | HSK 3 |
| 标志 | biāozhì | sign; mark; symbol; logo; to symbolize; to indicate; to mark | HSK 4 |
| 意志 | yìzhì | will; willpower; determination | HSK 5 |
| 同志 | tóngzhì | comrade; (slang) homosexual | HSK 7-9 |
| 斗志 | dòuzhì | will to fight; fighting spirit | HSK 7-9 |
| 励志 | lìzhì | to pursue a goal with determination; inspirational; motivational | HSK 7-9 |
| 志气 | zhìqì | ambition; resolve | HSK 7-9 |
| 众志成城 | zhòngzhì-chéngchéng | unity of will is an impregnable stronghold (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 日志 | rìzhì | journal; log (computing) | |
| 杂志社 | zázhìshè | magazine publisher | |
| 意志力 | yìzhìlì | willpower | |
| 神志不清 | shénzhìbùqīng | to be delirious; to be mentally confused |
志 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 志
Learning 志 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 志
How many strokes are in 志?
志 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 志 mean?
志 (zhì) means determination, will; mark, sign; to record, to write. A common word with it is 杂志 (zázhì), meaning "magazine".
How do you pronounce 志?
志 is pronounced zhì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 志?
The radical of 志 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 志 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 志?
The traditional form of 志 is 誌. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 志 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 志 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 志 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why does 同志 (tóngzhì) have two meanings?
同志 literally means people who share the same aspiration, so it became the political word for comrade. In modern slang, especially in Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is also used for gay people, so context matters.
What does 励志 (lìzhì) mean when describing a book or film?
Used as an adjective, 励志 means inspirational or motivational. For example, 一部励志电影 (yí bù lìzhì diànyǐng) means an inspirational movie.