旨 meaning and stroke order
Aim, intention, purpose, will
How to write 旨, stroke by stroke
6 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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- 6
Meaning of 旨
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- imperial decree
- purport
- aim
- purpose
How 旨 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A spoon 匕 aimed for the mouth 日.
Radical: 日 (sun), shared by 116 characters on this site.
How to remember 旨
A spoon 匕 sits on top of 日, which here stands for a mouth. The spoon is aimed at the mouth, so 旨 (zhǐ) means an aim or intention.
旨 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in formal words like 旨在 (zhǐzài, to aim to) and 宗旨 (zōngzhǐ, purpose), and in historical dramas as 圣旨 (shèngzhǐ, imperial edict). Example: 这个项目旨在帮助学生。(Zhège xiàngmù zhǐzài bāngzhù xuésheng.) This project aims to help students.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 旨 with 指 (zhǐ, finger, to point), which sounds the same and contains 旨 as its right side. 指 adds the hand radical 扌 and is about pointing, so write 旨在 for "aim to", not 指在.
Common words with 旨
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
旨 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 旨
Learning 旨 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 旨
How many strokes are in 旨?
旨 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 旨 mean?
旨 (zhǐ) means aim, intention, purpose, will. A common word with it is 旨在 (zhǐzài), meaning "to have as its purpose; to be intended to".
How do you pronounce 旨?
旨 is pronounced zhǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 旨?
The radical of 旨 is 日, which carries the idea of "sun". Dictionaries list 旨 under this radical.
Is 旨 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 旨 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 旨在 formal or casual?
旨在 is formal and mostly appears in writing, news, and official statements. In everyday speech people usually say 是为了 (shì wèile, is in order to) instead.
What does 圣旨 mean in modern slang?
Literally 圣旨 (shèngzhǐ) is an emperor's edict. People also use it jokingly for an order they must obey, such as a boss's or parent's command.