止 meaning and stroke order
To stop; to prohibit; until
How to write 止, stroke by stroke
4 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
Meaning of 止
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to stop
- to prohibit
- until
- only
How 止 is built
Pictographic character. A foot.
How to remember 止
止 (zhǐ) began as a picture of a foot. The tall stroke and short toes look like a footprint planted firmly on the ground, a foot that has stopped walking.
止 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in compounds like 停止 (tíngzhǐ, to stop), 禁止 (jìnzhǐ, to forbid) and 防止 (fángzhǐ, to prevent). Signs often use it: 禁止吸烟 (jìnzhǐ xīyān) No smoking.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 止 (zhǐ) with 正 (zhèng, correct), which is 止 with an extra horizontal stroke on top. Also watch the tone: 止 is third tone, unlike 至 (zhì, to reach), which is fourth tone and also appears in 至今 and similar words.
Common words with 止
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 停止 | tíngzhǐ | to stop; to halt; to cease | HSK 3 |
| 防止 | fángzhǐ | to prevent; to guard against | HSK 3 |
| 阻止 | zǔzhǐ | to prevent; to block | HSK 4 |
| 禁止 | jìnzhǐ | to prohibit; to forbid | HSK 4 |
| 不止 | bùzhǐ | incessantly; without end | HSK 5 |
| 为止 | wéizhǐ | until; (used in combination with words like 到[dao4] or 至[zhi4] in constructs of the form 到 | HSK 5 |
| 终止 | zhōngzhǐ | to stop; to terminate | HSK 5 |
| 截止 | jiézhǐ | to end; to close; (electricity) cut-off | HSK 6 |
| 制止 | zhìzhǐ | to curb; to put a stop to | HSK 7-9 |
| 中止 | zhōngzhǐ | to cease; to suspend | HSK 7-9 |
| 举止 | jǔzhǐ | bearing; manner | HSK 7-9 |
| 止血 | zhǐxuè | to staunch (bleeding); hemostatic (drug) | HSK 7-9 |
| 静止 | jìngzhǐ | still; immobile | HSK 7-9 |
| 迄今为止 | qìjīn-wéizhǐ | so far; up to now | HSK 7-9 |
止 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 止
Learning 止 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 止
How many strokes are in 止?
止 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 止 mean?
止 (zhǐ) means to stop; to prohibit; until. A common word with it is 停止 (tíngzhǐ), meaning "to stop; to halt; to cease".
How do you pronounce 止?
止 is pronounced zhǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 止 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 止 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 2.
How do I use 为止 to say until?
Put 到 before the time or point and 为止 after it, as in 到今天为止 (dào jīntiān wéizhǐ) up to today. It marks the end point of something that has happened so far.
What does 不止 mean in a sentence?
不止 (bùzhǐ) often means more than or not only. For example, 他不止一次来过 (tā bùzhǐ yí cì lái guo) means he has come more than once. It can also mean without end, as in 笑个不止 (laughing nonstop).