滯 meaning and stroke order
To block, to obstruct; sluggish, stagnant
How to write 滯, stroke by stroke
14 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 滯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) sluggish; stagnant
How 滯 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 帶 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 滯
Water 氵 tied up with a belt 帶 (dài) cannot flow, so it becomes stagnant. The 帶 part also hints at the sound, since 滯 (zhì) is a sound-meaning character.
滯 is a bound form, so it appears inside words like 停滯 (tíngzhì, at a standstill), 滯留 (zhìliú, to be stuck somewhere) and 滯後 (zhìhòu, to lag behind). Example: 經濟停滯不前。(Jīngjì tíngzhì bù qián.) The economy is stuck and not moving forward.
Common mistake: Learners often read it as dài because of the 帶 component, but the correct reading is zhì with a fourth tone. Do not confuse it with 帶 (dài, belt, to carry), which has no water radical.
Common words with 滯
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 滯
How many strokes are in 滯?
滯 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 滯 mean?
滯 (zhì) means to block, to obstruct; sluggish, stagnant. A common word with it is 滞留 (zhìliú), meaning "(of a person) to remain in (a place) (due to circumstances that prevent one leaving); to b".
How do you pronounce 滯?
滯 is pronounced zhì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 滯?
The radical of 滯 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 滯 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 滯?
滯 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 滞, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I use 滯 by itself as a verb?
Usually not. In modern Chinese it is a bound form, so you say 停滯 or 滯留 instead of using 滯 alone.
What is the difference between 滯留 and 停留?
停留 (tíngliú) simply means to stay for a while. 滯留 means you are stuck somewhere because something stops you from leaving, such as a cancelled flight.