擇 meaning and stroke order
To select, to choose
How to write 擇, stroke by stroke
16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 擇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to select
- to choose
- to pick over
- to pick out
- to differentiate
- to eliminate
How 擇 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 睪 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 擇
擇 is a hand 扌 that picks things out, plus 睪 which gives the sound. Picture a hand carefully choosing items one by one.
擇 (zé) is the traditional form and rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in compounds like 選擇 (xuǎnzé) and set phrases such as 不擇手段 (bùzéshǒuduàn). Example: 我別無選擇。(Wǒ bié wú xuǎnzé.) I have no other choice.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 擇 with 譯 (yì, translate) and 釋 (shì, explain), which share the same 睪 part. Check the left side: hand 扌 for choosing, speech 言 for translating, and 釆 for explaining.
Common words with 擇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 擇
How many strokes are in 擇?
擇 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 擇 mean?
擇 (zé) means to select, to choose. A common word with it is 选择 (xuǎnzé), meaning "to select; to pick; choice; option; alternative".
How do you pronounce 擇?
擇 is pronounced zé, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 擇?
The radical of 擇 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 擇 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 擇?
擇 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 择, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 擇 ever read as zhái?
Yes. In colloquial words about picking over food, such as 擇菜 (zháicài, to pick over vegetables), it is read zhái. In formal words like 選擇 it is zé.
What is the difference between 選擇 and 抉擇?
選擇 (xuǎnzé) is the everyday word for any choice. 抉擇 (juézé) is literary and suggests a serious or difficult decision.