杂 meaning and stroke order
Mixed; miscellaneous; various
How to write 杂, 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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- 4
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- 6
Meaning of 杂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- mixed
- miscellaneous
- various
- to mix
- variant of 雜|杂[za2]
How 杂 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 杂
杂 is 九 (jiǔ, nine) sitting on top of 木 (mù, tree or wood). Picture nine different kinds of things piled onto one tree, all mixed together, and you have "mixed, miscellaneous."
杂 usually appears in compound words rather than alone. The most common are 复杂 (fùzá, complicated) and 杂志 (zázhì, magazine). Example: 这个问题很复杂。(Zhège wèntí hěn fùzá.) This problem is very complicated.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top part as 丸 (wán) or add an extra dot, but it is simply 九 (jiǔ). Another mix-up is the tone: 杂 is second tone zá, not fourth tone zà.
Common words with 杂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 复杂 | fùzá | complicated; complex | HSK 3 |
| 杂志 | zázhì | magazine | HSK 3 |
| 杂交 | zájiāo | to hybridize; to crossbreed | HSK 7-9 |
| 错综复杂 | cuòzōng-fùzá | tangled and complicated (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 杂技 | zájì | acrobatics | HSK 7-9 |
| 杂乱无章 | záluàn-wúzhāng | disordered and in a mess (idiom); all mixed up and chaotic | HSK 7-9 |
| 杂种 | zázhǒng | hybrid; mixed breed | |
| 杂货店 | záhuòdiàn | grocery store; emporium | |
| 杂草 | zácǎo | weeds | |
| 杂碎 | zásui | offal; cooked minced offal | |
| 杂志社 | zázhìshè | magazine publisher | |
| 杂耍 | záshuǎ | a sideshow; vaudeville | |
| 杂物 | záwù | junk; items of no value | |
| 杂货 | záhuò | groceries; miscellaneous goods |
杂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 杂
How many strokes are in 杂?
杂 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 杂 mean?
杂 (zá) means mixed; miscellaneous; various. A common word with it is 复杂 (fùzá), meaning "complicated; complex".
How do you pronounce 杂?
杂 is pronounced zá, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 杂?
The radical of 杂 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 杂 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 杂?
The traditional form of 杂 is 襍 and 雜. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 杂 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 杂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 杂 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 "chores" or "odd jobs" with 杂?
Use 杂事 (záshì) for miscellaneous matters or 打杂 (dǎzá) for doing odd jobs. For example, 他在店里打杂。(Tā zài diàn lǐ dǎzá.) He does odd jobs at the shop.
Is 杂种 (zázhǒng) safe to use?
In biology it means hybrid or mixed breed. When said about a person it is a strong insult, similar to "bastard," so avoid using it about people.