渭 meaning and stroke order
A river in Shanxi province
How to write 渭, stroke by stroke
12 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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How 渭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 胃 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 渭
The water radical 氵 on the left tells you this is a river, and 胃 (wèi, stomach) on the right gives the sound. Picture a river winding like a long stomach across the land: that is the 渭 (wèi) River.
渭 (wèi) is used almost only for the Wei River (渭河 Wèi Hé or 渭水 Wèi Shuǐ) and place names near it, such as 渭南 (Wèinán). Note that the river actually flows mainly through Shaanxi (陕西), and it is often paired with the Jing River in the idiom 泾渭分明 (jīng wèi fēn míng), meaning "clearly distinct." Example: 渭河流过西安。(Wèi Hé liú guò Xī'ān.) The Wei River flows past Xi'an.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 谓 (wèi, to say) or 胃 (wèi, stomach) instead, since all three share the same sound. Remember that only the river name takes the water radical 氵.
Questions about 渭
How many strokes are in 渭?
渭 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 渭 mean?
渭 (wèi) means a river in Shanxi province.
How do you pronounce 渭?
渭 is pronounced wèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 渭?
The radical of 渭 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 渭 under this radical.
What does 泾渭分明 mean?
It literally refers to the clear Jing River meeting the muddy Wei River without mixing. It is used to say two things are clearly separate, like right and wrong or two groups that never blend.
Is 渭 used in any everyday words?
Not really. Outside of the river, place names like 渭南 (Wèinán), and the idiom 泾渭分明, you will rarely see it in daily Chinese.