条 meaning and stroke order
Strip; item; article
How to write 条, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 条
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- strip
- item
- article
- clause (of law or treaty)
- classifier for long thin things (ribbon, river, road, trousers etc)
How 条 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 条
条 is built from 夂 on top of 木 (mù, tree). Picture a long, thin branch or strip peeled off a tree, and you have the core idea of 条: something long and narrow.
条 is most often a classifier for long, thin things like roads, rivers, fish, trousers and dogs. It also counts items in a list, such as clauses, rules or news stories, and appears in words like 面条 (miàntiáo, noodles) and 条件 (tiáojiàn, condition). Example: 这条路很长。(Zhè tiáo lù hěn cháng.) This road is very long.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top part as 攵 or 久 instead of 夂, or confuse 条 with 杀 (shā, to kill), which has a different top. Also remember the tone is second tone, tiáo, not tiǎo as in 挑 (tiǎo).
Common words with 条
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 面条儿 | miàntiáor | erhua variant of 麵條|面条[mian4 tiao2] | HSK 1 |
| 条件 | tiáojiàn | condition; circumstance; term; factor; requirement; prerequisite; qualification | HSK 2 |
| 便条 | biàntiáo | (informal) note | HSK 5 |
| 薯条 | shǔtiáo | french fries; french fried potatoes | HSK 6 |
| 条款 | tiáokuǎn | clause (of contract or law) | HSK 7-9 |
| 条约 | tiáoyuē | treaty; pact | HSK 7-9 |
| 头条 | tóutiáo | lead story (on the news) | HSK 7-9 |
| 条例 | tiáolì | regulations; rules; code of conduct; ordinances; statutes | HSK 7-9 |
| 无条件 | wútiáojiàn | unconditional | HSK 7-9 |
| 线条 | xiàntiáo | line (in drawing, calligraphy etc); the lines or contours of a three-dimensional object (h | HSK 7-9 |
| 萧条 | xiāotiáo | bleak; desolate; (economics) in a slump; sluggish; depressed | HSK 7-9 |
| 苗条 | miáotiao | (of a woman) slim; slender | HSK 7-9 |
| 教条 | jiàotiáo | doctrine; dogma | HSK 7-9 |
| 借条 | jiètiáo | receipt for a loan; IOU | HSK 7-9 |
条 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 条
Learning 条 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 条
How many strokes are in 条?
条 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 条 mean?
条 (tiáo) means strip; item; article. A common word with it is 面条儿 (miàntiáor), meaning "erhua variant of 麵條|面条[mian4 tiao2]".
How do you pronounce 条?
条 is pronounced tiáo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 条?
The radical of 条 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 条 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 条?
The traditional form of 条 is 條. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 条 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 条 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 条 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 2.
When should I use 条 instead of 只 for animals?
Use 条 for animals with long bodies, such as 一条鱼 (yì tiáo yú, a fish), 一条蛇 (a snake) and 一条狗 (a dog). For many other animals like cats and birds, 只 (zhī) is more common. For dogs, both 条 and 只 are heard.
Can 条 count news or messages?
Yes. 条 counts items of information, for example 一条新闻 (yì tiáo xīnwén, a piece of news) or 一条短信 (yì tiáo duǎnxìn, a text message). This is why 头条 (tóutiáo) means the lead story.