星 meaning and stroke order
Star, planet; a point of light
How to write 星, 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 星
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- star
- heavenly body
- satellite
- small amount
How 星 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Sun.
日 gives the meaning and 生 hints at the sound.
Radical: 日 (sun), shared by 116 characters on this site.
How to remember 星
星 puts 日 (rì, sun) on top of 生 (shēng). 日 gives the meaning of a shining body in the sky, and 生 gives the sound, so think of a little sun being born in the night sky.
On its own 星 is rare in speech. People say 星星 (xīngxing) for stars in the sky, and 星 appears in many common words like 星期 (xīngqī, week), 明星 (míngxīng, celebrity) and 卫星 (wèixīng, satellite). Example: 今天星期几？ (Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?) What day of the week is it today?
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the bottom part as 王 or 土 and forget the left-side stroke of 生, which starts with a short slanting stroke. Also keep the first tone xīng, and do not confuse it with 醒 (xǐng, to wake up), which shares the sound part but uses 酉 on the left.
Common words with 星
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 星期 | xīngqī | week; day of the week | HSK 1 |
| 星期天 | xīngqītiān | Sunday | HSK 1 |
| 星期日 | xīngqīrì | Sunday | HSK 1 |
| 明星 | míngxīng | star; celebrity | HSK 2 |
| 星星 | xīngxing | (coll.) a star; the stars in the sky | HSK 2 |
| 卫星 | wèixīng | (aerospace) satellite; (astronomy) satellite; moon | HSK 5 |
| 歌星 | gēxīng | singing star; famous singer | HSK 6 |
| 影星 | yǐngxīng | film star | HSK 6 |
| 球星 | qiúxīng | sports star (ball sport) | HSK 6 |
| 外星人 | wàixīngrén | space alien; extraterrestrial | HSK 7-9 |
| 巨星 | jùxīng | (astronomy) giant star; (fig.) superstar (of opera, basketball etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 星座 | xīngzuò | constellation; astrological sign | HSK 7-9 |
| 五星级 | wǔxīngjí | five-star (hotel) | HSK 7-9 |
| 星球 | xīngqiú | celestial body (e.g. planet, satellite etc); heavenly body |
星 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 星
Learning 星 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 星
How many strokes are in 星?
星 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 星 mean?
星 (xīng) means star, planet; a point of light. A common word with it is 星期 (xīngqī), meaning "week; day of the week".
How do you pronounce 星?
星 is pronounced xīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 星?
The radical of 星 is 日, which carries the idea of "sun". Dictionaries list 星 under this radical.
Is 星 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 星 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why does 星期 mean week?
星期 comes from the old idea of the seven heavenly bodies, which were linked to the seven days. Today it simply means week, and you add a number for the day, as in 星期一 (xīngqīyī) Monday.
Can 星 describe a famous person?
Yes. 星 is used for celebrities in words like 明星 (míngxīng) star, 歌星 (gēxīng) famous singer and 影星 (yǐngxīng) film star. On its own in this sense it usually appears inside such compounds.