柔 meaning and stroke order
Soft, supple; gentle; flexible
How to write 柔, 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.
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Meaning of 柔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- soft
- flexible
- supple
- yielding
- rho (Greek letter Ρρ)
How 柔 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Wood 木 so soft it can be cut 矛.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 柔
柔 (róu) puts a spear 矛 (máo) on top of wood 木 (mù). The idea is wood so soft and pliable that a spear can cut into it easily, so the character means soft or supple.
柔 rarely stands alone and usually appears in two-character words like 柔软 (róuruǎn, soft) for physical softness and 温柔 (wēnróu, gentle) for a kind, tender personality. Example: 她说话很温柔。(Tā shuōhuà hěn wēnróu.) She speaks very gently.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 柔软 (róuruǎn) and 温柔 (wēnróu). 柔软 describes things you can touch, like a pillow, while 温柔 describes people's manner or voice. Also watch the top part: it is 矛 (máo, spear), not 予 (yǔ), so do not forget the extra slanted stroke on the right.
Common words with 柔
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
柔 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 柔
Learning 柔 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 柔
How many strokes are in 柔?
柔 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 柔 mean?
柔 (róu) means soft, supple; gentle; flexible. A common word with it is 温柔 (wēnróu), meaning "gentle and soft; tender; sweet (commonly used to describe a girl or woman)".
How do you pronounce 柔?
柔 is pronounced róu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 柔?
The radical of 柔 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 柔 under this radical.
Is 柔 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 柔 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 柔和 and 温柔?
柔和 (róuhé) usually describes light, color, sound, or tone as soft and mild, such as 柔和的灯光 (soft lighting). 温柔 (wēnróu) is mainly used for people and their personality or behavior.
Why does 柔道 mean judo?
柔道 (róudào) literally means "the gentle way." It is the Chinese reading of the Japanese martial art name, which uses the same two characters.