清 meaning and stroke order
(of water etc) clear; clean; quiet; still; pure; uncorrupted
How to write 清, 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.
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Meaning of 清
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (of water etc) clear; clean
- quiet; still
- pure; uncorrupted
- clear; distinct
- to clear; to settle (accounts)
How 清 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 青 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 清
清 combines the water radical 氵 with 青 (qīng), which gives the sound. Picture water so clear and fresh that nothing clouds it, and you have 清: clear, clean, pure.
清 rarely stands alone in speech and mostly appears in words like 清楚 (qīngchu, clear) and 清洁 (qīngjié, clean). It can describe clear water, a clear mind, or settling something completely, as in 还清 (huánqīng, to pay off). Example: 我听不清楚。(Wǒ tīng bù qīngchu.) I can't hear clearly.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 清 (qīng) with 请 (qǐng, please), which has the speech radical 讠 and a third tone, or with 晴 (qíng, sunny), which has the sun radical 日 and a second tone. Check the left side: water means clear, speech means ask, sun means fine weather.
Common words with 清
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 清楚 | qīngchu | clear; distinct | HSK 2 |
| 清醒 | qīngxǐng | clear-headed; sober | HSK 4 |
| 清理 | qīnglǐ | to clear up; to tidy up | HSK 5 |
| 清晨 | qīngchén | early morning | HSK 5 |
| 清洁 | qīngjié | clean; to clean | HSK 6 |
| 清洗 | qīngxǐ | to wash; to rinse; to clean; (fig.) to purge; to get rid of (corrupt individuals etc) | HSK 6 |
| 清洁工 | qīngjiégōng | cleaner; janitor | HSK 6 |
| 清明节 | Qīngmíng Jié | Qingming or Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day, celebration for the dead (in ea | HSK 6 |
| 清除 | qīngchú | to clear away; to eliminate | HSK 7-9 |
| 清晰 | qīngxī | clear; distinct | HSK 7-9 |
| 清单 | qīngdān | list of items | HSK 7-9 |
| 澄清 | chéngqīng | clear (of liquid); limpid | HSK 7-9 |
| 清新 | qīngxīn | fresh and clean | HSK 7-9 |
| 清真寺 | qīngzhēnsì | mosque | HSK 7-9 |
清 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 清
How many strokes are in 清?
清 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 清 mean?
清 (qīng) means (of water etc) clear; clean; quiet; still; pure; uncorrupted. A common word with it is 清楚 (qīngchu), meaning "clear; distinct".
How do you pronounce 清?
清 is pronounced qīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 清?
The radical of 清 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 清 under this radical.
Is 清 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 清 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why is the second syllable of 清楚 written without a tone mark?
In everyday Mandarin, 楚 in 清楚 is usually read in the neutral tone, so it is written qīngchu. Saying qīngchǔ with a full third tone is understood but sounds formal or careful.
What is the difference between 清楚 and 清洁?
清楚 (qīngchu) means clear or distinct, for sounds, images, ideas, or explanations. 清洁 (qīngjié) means physically clean, like a clean room or street. You say 说清楚 (explain clearly) but 保持清洁 (keep clean).