挥 meaning and stroke order
To wave; to brandish; to command
How to write 挥, 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
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- 9
Meaning of 挥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to wave
- to brandish
- to command
- to conduct
- to scatter
- to disperse
How 挥 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To direct an army 军 by hand 扌.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 挥
A hand 扌 next to an army 军: picture a general waving his hand to direct the troops. That wave of command is the core idea of 挥 (huī).
挥 appears mostly in compounds. 挥手 (huīshǒu) is waving your hand, 指挥 (zhǐhuī) is commanding or conducting, and 发挥 (fāhuī) is bringing out your ability. Example: 她向我挥手告别。(Tā xiàng wǒ huīshǒu gàobié.) She waved goodbye to me.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 挥 (huī) with 辉 (huī, brightness), as in 光辉 (guānghuī). They sound the same but 挥 has the hand 扌 because it is an action, while 辉 has 光 for light.
Common words with 挥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 指挥 | zhǐhuī | to conduct; to command | HSK 4 |
| 发挥 | fāhuī | to display; to exhibit | HSK 4 |
| 指挥官 | zhǐhuīguān | commander | |
| 指挥部 | zhǐhuībù | headquarters; command post | |
| 挥手 | huīshǒu | to wave (one's hand) | |
| 挥舞 | huīwǔ | to brandish; to wave sth | |
| 挥霍 | huīhuò | to squander money; extravagant | |
| 挥之不去 | huīzhībùqù | impossible to get rid of | |
| 挥动 | huīdòng | to wave sth; to brandish | |
| 挥杆 | huīgān | swing (golf) | |
| 指挥家 | zhǐhuījiā | (music) conductor |
挥 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 挥
How many strokes are in 挥?
挥 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 挥 mean?
挥 (huī) means to wave; to brandish; to command. A common word with it is 指挥 (zhǐhuī), meaning "to conduct; to command".
How do you pronounce 挥?
挥 is pronounced huī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 挥?
The radical of 挥 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 挥 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 挥?
The traditional form of 挥 is 揮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 挥 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 挥 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 挥 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 发挥 and 发展?
发挥 (fāhuī) means to bring out or make full use of something you already have, like talent or a role: 发挥作用 (fāhuī zuòyòng), to play a role. 发展 (fāzhǎn) means to develop or grow over time, like an economy or a city.
Does 挥霍 only refer to money?
Mostly it means spending money wastefully, as in 挥霍金钱 (huīhuò jīnqián). It can also describe wasting other resources such as time or youth, but the tone is always critical.