桅 meaning and stroke order
A ship's mast
How to write 桅, stroke by stroke
10 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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- 10
Meaning of 桅
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- mast
How 桅 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wood.
木 gives the meaning and 危 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 桅
桅 combines 木 (wood) with 危 (wēi, danger), which also gives the sound. Picture a tall wooden pole standing high above the deck, where climbing up feels dangerous.
桅 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It is almost always used in the word 桅杆 (wéigān), meaning a mast on a ship or boat. Example: 船的桅杆很高。(Chuán de wéigān hěn gāo.) The ship's mast is very tall.
Common mistake: Learners often read 桅 with the first tone like its phonetic part 危 (wēi), but 桅 is second tone, wéi. Also do not confuse it with 桅's look-alike 脆 (cuì, crisp), which has 月 on the left instead of 木.
Common words with 桅
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 桅杆 | wéigān | mast |
Questions about 桅
How many strokes are in 桅?
桅 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 桅 mean?
桅 (wéi) means a ship's mast. A common word with it is 桅杆 (wéigān), meaning "mast".
How do you pronounce 桅?
桅 is pronounced wéi, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 桅?
The radical of 桅 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 桅 under this radical.
Can 桅杆 mean something other than a ship's mast?
Yes. 桅杆 can also describe a tall pole that looks like a mast, such as a radio or signal mast. The core idea is a tall upright pole.
What measure word is used with 桅杆?
The common measure word is 根 (gēn), used for long thin objects. For example, 一根桅杆 (yì gēn wéigān) means one mast.