戈 meaning and stroke order
Spear, lance, halberd
How to write 戈, 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 戈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dagger-axe
- abbr. for 戈瑞[ge1 rui4]
- (Tw) abbr. for 戈雷[ge1 lei2]
How 戈 is built
Pictographic character. A spear pointing to the bottom-right.
How to remember 戈
戈 (gē) is a picture of an old weapon: the long slanting stroke is the shaft, and the short stroke across it is the blade sticking out. Picture a spear held at an angle, pointing down to the bottom-right.
On its own, 戈 mostly appears in historical or literary writing about ancient weapons. Today you meet it far more often in fixed words like 戈壁 (gēbì, Gobi) and the loanword 探戈 (tàngē, tango). Example: 他们会跳探戈。(Tāmen huì tiào tàngē.) They can dance the tango.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 戈 with 弋 (yì), which looks similar but has no left-side horizontal stroke, and with 戌 or 戊, which add extra strokes. Also remember the dot at the top right; leaving it off is a common handwriting slip.
Common words with 戈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
戈 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 戈
Learning 戈 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 戈
How many strokes are in 戈?
戈 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 戈 mean?
戈 (gē) means spear, lance, halberd. A common word with it is 戈壁 (gēbì), meaning "Gobi (desert)".
How do you pronounce 戈?
戈 is pronounced gē, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 戈 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 戈 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 戈 appear in characters like 我, 找 and 战?
戈 is a common component in many characters, and it often appears in ones linked to weapons or fighting, such as 战 (zhàn, war). In characters like 我 (wǒ) the shape is there, but the modern meaning has nothing to do with weapons.
What does the phrase 化干戈为玉帛 mean?
It literally means to turn shields and dagger-axes into jade and silk. People use it to mean turning conflict into peace or making up after a fight.