指 meaning and stroke order
Finger; to point at or to; to indicate or refer to
How to write 指, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 指
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- finger
- to point at or to
- to indicate or refer to
- to depend on
- to count on
- (of hair) to stand on end
How 指 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To point 旨 by hand 扌; 旨 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 指
The hand radical 扌 on the left shows a hand, and 旨 (zhǐ) on the right gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching out to point, and remember the right side tells you to say zhǐ.
指 means finger, as in 手指 (shǒuzhǐ), and also the verb to point or to refer to. It appears in many formal words like 指出 (zhǐchū, to point out) and 指导 (zhǐdǎo, to guide). Example: 他指着地图说话。(Tā zhǐzhe dìtú shuōhuà.) He talked while pointing at the map.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 指 with 拍 or 招, which also have the 扌 radical, so check that the right side is 旨 with 匕 on top of 日. Also note that in 指甲 (zhǐjia, fingernail) the second syllable is usually neutral tone in everyday speech.
Common words with 指
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger | HSK 3 |
| 指导 | zhǐdǎo | to guide; to direct; to instruct; coach; trainer | HSK 3 |
| 指出 | zhǐchū | to indicate; to point out | HSK 3 |
| 指挥 | zhǐhuī | to conduct; to command | HSK 4 |
| 指示 | zhǐshì | to point out; to indicate | HSK 5 |
| 指责 | zhǐzé | to criticize; to find fault with | HSK 5 |
| 指甲 | zhǐjia | fingernail | HSK 5 |
| 指标 | zhǐbiāo | (production) target; quota; index; indicator | HSK 5 |
| 指着 | zhǐzhe | HSK 6 | |
| 指定 | zhǐdìng | to appoint; to assign | HSK 6 |
| 指数 | zhǐshù | (numerical, statistical) index; (math.) exponent | HSK 6 |
| 指头 | zhǐtou | finger; toe | HSK 6 |
| 戒指 | jièzhi | (finger) ring | HSK 7-9 |
| 指望 | zhǐwàng | to count on; to hope for; prospect; hope | HSK 7-9 |
指 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 指
How many strokes are in 指?
指 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 指 mean?
指 (zhǐ) means finger; to point at or to; to indicate or refer to. A common word with it is 手指 (shǒuzhǐ), meaning "finger".
How do you pronounce 指?
指 is pronounced zhǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 指?
The radical of 指 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 指 under this radical.
Is 指 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 指 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 3.
How do you say 'what do you mean' using 指?
You can say 你指的是什么？(Nǐ zhǐ de shì shénme?), meaning 'What are you referring to?' Here 指 means to refer to, not to point physically.
What does 指望 mean?
指望 (zhǐwàng) means to count on or to rely on someone. For example, 别指望他。(Bié zhǐwàng tā.) means 'Don't count on him.' This matches the dictionary sense of 指 as 'to depend on'.