特 meaning and stroke order
Special; unique; distinguished
How to write 特, stroke by stroke
10 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
Meaning of 特
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- special
- unique
- distinguished
- especially
- unusual
- very
How 特 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ox.
牛 gives the meaning and 寺 hints at the sound.
Radical: 牛 (ox), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 特
特 combines 牛 (niú, ox) on the left, which gives the meaning, with 寺 (sì, temple) on the right, which hints at the sound. Picture one special ox standing out in front of a temple, the unique one chosen from the herd.
特 rarely stands alone and usually appears in words like 特别 (tèbié, especially; very), 特点 (tèdiǎn, feature) and 特色 (tèsè, distinctive quality). 特别 is extremely common in speech as an intensifier. Example: 今天特别冷。(Jīntiān tèbié lěng.) It is especially cold today.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as a full 牛, but in 特 the last stroke becomes a rising stroke so it fits beside 寺. Also, 寺 is pronounced sì, so do not let the phonetic part trick you into reading 特 as sì. It is fourth tone tè.
Common words with 特
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 特别 | tèbié | unusual; special; very; especially; particularly | HSK 2 |
| 特点 | tèdiǎn | characteristic; trait; feature | HSK 2 |
| 特色 | tèsè | a characteristic; a distinctive feature or quality | HSK 3 |
| 特殊 | tèshū | special; particular | HSK 4 |
| 独特 | dútè | unique; distinctive | HSK 4 |
| 特征 | tèzhēng | characteristic; diagnostic property | HSK 4 |
| 模特儿 | mótèr | (fashion) model (loanword) | HSK 4 |
| 特价 | tèjià | special price | HSK 4 |
| 特定 | tèdìng | special; specific; designated; particular | HSK 5 |
| 特性 | tèxìng | property; characteristic | HSK 5 |
| 特有 | tèyǒu | specific (to); characteristic (of) | HSK 5 |
| 特意 | tèyì | specially; intentionally | HSK 6 |
| 特地 | tèdì | specially; for a special purpose | HSK 6 |
| 特大 | tèdà | exceptionally big | HSK 6 |
特 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 特
How many strokes are in 特?
特 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 特 mean?
特 (tè) means special; unique; distinguished. A common word with it is 特别 (tèbié), meaning "unusual; special; very; especially; particularly".
How do you pronounce 特?
特 is pronounced tè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 特?
The radical of 特 is 牛, which carries the idea of "ox". Dictionaries list 特 under this radical.
Is 特 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 特 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.
What is the difference between 特别 and 特殊?
特别 is everyday and flexible. It can mean special or work as an adverb meaning very or especially, as in 特别好 (tèbié hǎo). 特殊 (tèshū) is more formal and only means special or exceptional in the sense of not ordinary, like 特殊情况 (tèshū qíngkuàng, special circumstances).
Why does 特 appear in 模特儿 (mótèr)?
模特儿 is a loanword from English model, and 特 was chosen mainly for its sound. Here it does not carry the meaning special.