球 meaning and stroke order
Ball; sphere; globe
How to write 球, 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
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- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 球
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ball
- sphere
- globe
- ball game
- match
- ball used for playing games (variant of 球[qiu2])
How 球 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Jade.
王 gives the meaning and 求 hints at the sound.
Radical: 王 (king), shared by 104 characters on this site.
How to remember 球
The left side 王 here stands for jade, and the right side 求 (qiú) gives the sound. Picture a smooth, round jade bead, and you have 球 (qiú), a ball.
球 (qiú) is used for balls, ball games, and round objects like the globe. It often comes last in sports names such as 篮球 (lánqiú) basketball and 网球 (wǎngqiú) tennis. Example: 我们周末去打球。(Wǒmen zhōumò qù dǎ qiú.) We are going to play ball this weekend.
Common mistake: Learners often write just 求 (qiú, to request) when they mean 球, because the two sound exactly the same. Remember that a ball needs the jade side 王 on the left.
Common words with 球
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 打球 | dǎ qiú | to play a ball sport | HSK 1 |
| 地球 | dìqiú | the earth | HSK 2 |
| 球队 | qiúduì | sports team (basketball, soccer, football etc) | HSK 2 |
| 球场 | qiúchǎng | stadium; sports ground | HSK 2 |
| 篮球 | lánqiú | basketball | HSK 2 |
| 网球 | wǎngqiú | tennis; tennis ball | HSK 2 |
| 排球 | páiqiú | volleyball | HSK 2 |
| 球鞋 | qiúxié | athletic shoes | HSK 2 |
| 全球 | quánqiú | the whole world; worldwide; global | HSK 3 |
| 足球 | zúqiú | soccer; football; a soccer ball; a football | HSK 3 |
| 球迷 | qiúmí | fan (ball sports) | HSK 3 |
| 气球 | qìqiú | balloon | HSK 4 |
| 月球 | yuèqiú | the moon | HSK 5 |
| 羽毛球 | yǔmáoqiú | badminton; shuttlecock | HSK 5 |
球 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 球
How many strokes are in 球?
球 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 球 mean?
球 (qiú) means ball; sphere; globe. A common word with it is 打球 (dǎ qiú), meaning "to play a ball sport".
How do you pronounce 球?
球 is pronounced qiú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 球?
The radical of 球 is 王, which carries the idea of "king". Dictionaries list 球 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 球?
The traditional form of 球 is 毬. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 球 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 球 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 球 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do you say 'play soccer' or 'play basketball' in Chinese?
Use 踢 (tī, kick) for soccer: 踢足球 (tī zúqiú). Use 打 (dǎ, hit) for most hand or racket sports: 打篮球 (dǎ lánqiú), 打网球 (dǎ wǎngqiú).
Can 球 also mean a game or match?
Yes. In speech, 球 can refer to a game itself, as in 看球 (kàn qiú), to watch a game. A sports team is 球队 (qiúduì) and a fan is 球迷 (qiúmí).