淨 meaning and stroke order
Clean, pure, unspoiled
How to write 淨, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 淨
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- clean
- completely
- only
- net (income, exports etc)
- (Chinese opera) painted face male role
How 淨 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 爭 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 淨
淨 combines water 氵 with 爭 (zhēng), which gives the sound. Picture water washing something until it is clean, and note that 爭 (zhēng) sounds close to jìng.
淨 is the traditional form of 净, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It appears in words like 乾淨 (gānjìng, clean) and 淨化 (jìnghuà, to purify), and as an adverb meaning "only" or "nothing but" in casual speech. Example: 他淨說廢話。(Tā jìng shuō fèihuà.) He talks nothing but nonsense.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 争, the simplified form, or mix up 淨 with 靜 (jìng, quiet), which shares the same sound and the same 爭 part but uses 青 instead of water. A good check: 淨 is about washing, so it has water, while 靜 is about calm.
Common words with 淨
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 乾淨 | gānjìng | clean; neat | HSK 1 |
| 純淨水 | chúnjìngshuǐ | purified water | HSK 4 |
| 淨化 | jìnghuà | to purify | HSK 7-9 |
| 一乾二淨 | yīgān-èrjìng | thoroughly (idiom); completely | HSK 7-9 |
| 潔淨 | jiéjìng | clean; to cleanse | HSK 7-9 |
| 純淨 | chúnjìng | pure; clean | |
| 清淨 | qīngjìng | peaceful; quiet | |
| 乾淨利落 | gānjìnglìluo | squeaky clean; neat and tidy | |
| 洗淨 | xǐjìng | to wash clean |
Questions about 淨
How many strokes are in 淨?
淨 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 淨 mean?
淨 (jìng) means clean, pure, unspoiled. A common word with it is 干净 (gānjìng), meaning "clean; neat".
How do you pronounce 淨?
淨 is pronounced jìng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 淨?
The radical of 淨 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 淨 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 淨?
淨 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 净, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 淨 mean in words like net income?
淨 can mean "net," the amount left after deductions. For example, 淨利 (jìnglì) is net profit and 淨重 (jìngzhòng) is net weight.
What is the 淨 role in Chinese opera?
In Chinese opera, 淨 (jìng) is the male role with a painted face, often a bold or powerful character. It is one of the main role types, alongside 生, 旦, and 丑.