治 meaning and stroke order
To rule; to govern; to manage
How to write 治, 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
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- 4
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- 8
Meaning of 治
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to rule
- to govern
- to manage
- to control
- to harness (a river)
- to treat (a disease)
How 治 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A structure 台 that directs the flow of water 氵.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 治
Picture water 氵 flowing past a structure 台 (tái) that directs where it goes. Controlling a river is the original picture of governing, and the same idea stretches to managing a country or bringing a disease under control.
治 appears in words about government, like 政治 (zhèngzhì, politics) and 治理 (zhìlǐ, to govern), and in words about medicine, like 治疗 (zhìliáo, treatment) and 治病 (zhì bìng, to treat an illness). Example: 医生治好了他的病。(Yīshēng zhì hǎo le tā de bìng.) The doctor cured his illness.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 治 as tái because of the 台 component, but it is always zhì with a falling fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 冶 (yě, to smelt), which has two dots 冫 on the left instead of three 氵.
Common words with 治
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 治疗 | zhìliáo | to treat (an illness); medical treatment | HSK 4 |
| 政治 | zhèngzhì | politics; political | HSK 4 |
| 治安 | zhì'ān | law and order; public security | HSK 5 |
| 治理 | zhìlǐ | to govern; to administer | HSK 5 |
| 防治 | fángzhì | to prevent and cure; prevention and cure | HSK 5 |
| 三明治 | sānmíngzhì | (loanword) sandwich | HSK 6 |
| 治病 | zhì bìng | to treat an illness | HSK 6 |
| 整治 | zhěngzhì | to bring under control; to regulate | HSK 6 |
| 统治 | tǒngzhì | to rule (a country); to govern | HSK 7-9 |
| 治愈 | zhìyù | to cure; to restore to health; uplifting; heartwarming | HSK 7-9 |
| 救治 | jiùzhì | to provide critical care (to a patient or a diseased plant) | HSK 7-9 |
| 根治 | gēnzhì | to bring under permanent control; to effect a radical cure | HSK 7-9 |
| 治学 | zhìxué | scholarship; high-level study | HSK 7-9 |
| 政治家 | zhèngzhìjiā | statesman; politician |
治 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 治
How many strokes are in 治?
治 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 治 mean?
治 (zhì) means to rule; to govern; to manage. A common word with it is 治疗 (zhìliáo), meaning "to treat (an illness); medical treatment".
How do you pronounce 治?
治 is pronounced zhì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 治?
The radical of 治 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 治 under this radical.
Is 治 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 治 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 治 and 治疗?
治 alone is short and often takes a direct object, as in 治病 (zhì bìng, treat an illness). 治疗 (zhìliáo) is the more formal two-syllable word and can also be a noun meaning medical treatment, as in 接受治疗 (jiēshòu zhìliáo, to receive treatment).
Why is 治 in the word for sandwich, 三明治?
三明治 (sānmíngzhì) is a loanword that imitates the sound of the English word sandwich. Here 治 is used only for its sound zhì and carries no meaning of governing or treating.