痴 meaning and stroke order
Foolish, stupid, dumb, silly
How to write 痴, stroke by stroke
13 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 痴
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- imbecile
- sentimental
- stupid
- foolish
- silly
- variant of 痴[chi1]
How 痴 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Sickness.
疒 gives the meaning and 知 hints at the sound.
Radical: 疒 (sickness), shared by 127 characters on this site.
How to remember 痴
痴 is built from the sickness radical 疒 wrapped around 知 (zhī, to know). Picture your knowing mind 知 caught under a sickness 疒, so you act foolish or become obsessed.
痴 often describes being foolish, but in modern Chinese it very often means being infatuated or obsessed, as in 痴迷 (chīmí) and 痴心 (chīxīn). It also appears in 白痴 (báichī, idiot) and 老年痴呆 (lǎonián chīdāi, dementia). Example: 他对音乐很痴迷。(Tā duì yīnyuè hěn chīmí.) He is obsessed with music.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 痴 as zhī because of the phonetic part 知, but it is pronounced chī. Do not confuse it with 吃 (chī, to eat), which sounds the same but is written with the mouth radical 口.
Common words with 痴
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 痴迷 | chīmí | infatuated; obsessed | HSK 7-9 |
| 痴呆 | chīdāi | stupid; dull; (medicine) dementia | HSK 7-9 |
| 痴心 | chīxīn | infatuation | HSK 7-9 |
| 如醉如痴 | rúzuì-rúchī | see 如癡如醉|如痴如醉[ru2 chi1 ru2 zui4] | HSK 7-9 |
| 白痴 | báichī | idiocy; idiot | |
| 老年痴呆 | lǎoniánchīdāi | senile dementia; Alzheimer's disease | |
| 痴心妄想 | chīxīnwàngxiǎng | to be carried away by one's wishful thinking (idiom); to labor under a delusion | |
| 花痴 | huāchī | to be smitten with sb; love-struck fool |
痴 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 痴
How many strokes are in 痴?
痴 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 痴 mean?
痴 (chī) means foolish, stupid, dumb, silly. A common word with it is 痴迷 (chīmí), meaning "infatuated; obsessed".
How do you pronounce 痴?
痴 is pronounced chī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 痴?
The radical of 痴 is 疒, which carries the idea of "sickness". Dictionaries list 痴 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 痴?
The traditional form of 痴 is 癡. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 痴 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 痴 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 痴 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 白痴 a rude word?
Yes, 白痴 (báichī) means idiot and is an insult. Friends may use it jokingly, but it can easily offend strangers or coworkers.
What does 花痴 mean and is it negative?
花痴 (huāchī) describes someone who is love-struck or goes crazy over attractive people. It is usually playful teasing, though it can sound mocking depending on tone.