析 meaning and stroke order
To split wood; to divide, to break apart
How to write 析, stroke by stroke
8 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 析
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to separate
- to divide
- to analyze
How 析 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Chopping 斤 wood 木; 斤 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 析
析 shows an axe 斤 (jīn) next to a tree 木 (mù), chopping wood apart. Splitting a log into pieces is the picture behind breaking a problem into parts to analyze it.
析 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese and is mostly used inside words like 分析 (fēnxī, to analyze) and 解析 (jiěxī, to analyze; to resolve). Example: 我们来分析一下这个问题。(Wǒmen lái fēnxī yíxià zhège wèntí.) Let's analyze this problem.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 析 (xī) with 折 (zhé, to break, to fold), which has the hand radical 扌 instead of 木 on the left. Remember that a tree 木 is what you split when you analyze with 析.
Common words with 析
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
析 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 析
Learning 析 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 析
How many strokes are in 析?
析 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 析 mean?
析 (xī) means to split wood; to divide, to break apart. A common word with it is 分析 (fēnxī), meaning "to analyze; analysis".
How do you pronounce 析?
析 is pronounced xī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 析?
The radical of 析 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 析 under this radical.
Is 析 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 析 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Can I use 析 by itself to mean analyze?
Not usually. In everyday speech and writing you say 分析 (fēnxī) or 解析 (jiěxī). 析 alone mostly appears in formal or literary contexts.
What does 分崩离析 mean and when is it used?
分崩离析 (fēnbēnglíxī) is an idiom meaning to collapse and fall to pieces. It is used for groups, countries, or organizations that break apart, for example 这个团队分崩离析了 (zhège tuánduì fēnbēnglíxī le), this team fell apart.