歧 meaning and stroke order
To diverge, to fork; a branch; a side road
How to write 歧, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 歧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- divergent
- side road
How 歧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Stop.
止 gives the meaning and 支 hints at the sound.
Radical: 止 (to stop), shared by 12 characters on this site.
How to remember 歧
歧 combines 止 (zhǐ), the foot or stop sign, with 支 (zhī), which gives the sound and also means a branch. Picture your foot stopping where the road branches off in two directions.
歧 rarely appears alone and is mostly found in words about splitting apart or going the wrong way, like 分歧 (fēnqí) for disagreement and 歧视 (qíshì) for discrimination. Example: 我们在这个问题上有分歧。(Wǒmen zài zhège wèntí shàng yǒu fēnqí.) We disagree on this issue.
Common mistake: Learners often write 岐 with the mountain radical 山 instead of 止, because both are read qí. In 歧视 and 分歧 the correct left side is always 止.
Common words with 歧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 分歧 | fēnqí | divergent; difference (of opinion, position); disagreement | HSK 7-9 |
| 歧视 | qíshì | to discriminate against; discrimination | HSK 7-9 |
| 种族歧视 | zhǒngzúqíshì | racial discrimination; racism | |
| 性别歧视 | xìngbiéqíshì | sex discrimination; sexism | |
| 误入歧途 | wùrùqítú | to take a wrong step in life (idiom); to go astray | |
| 歧途 | qítú | fork in a road; wrong road |
歧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 歧
How many strokes are in 歧?
歧 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 歧 mean?
歧 (qí) means to diverge, to fork; a branch; a side road. A common word with it is 分歧 (fēnqí), meaning "divergent; difference (of opinion, position); disagreement".
How do you pronounce 歧?
歧 is pronounced qí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 歧?
The radical of 歧 is 止, which carries the idea of "to stop". Dictionaries list 歧 under this radical.
Is 歧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 歧 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 歧视 mean discrimination if 歧 means a fork in the road?
歧视 literally suggests looking at people as divided or different and treating them on a separate path. The idea of splitting apart carries over into unequal treatment.
What does 误入歧途 mean and when is it used?
误入歧途 (wùrù qítú) means to wander onto the wrong road by mistake, and it describes someone going astray in life. It is often said about young people who fall into crime or bad company.