睪 meaning and stroke order
To spy on
How to write 睪, 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 睪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (archaic) to observe; to spy on
How 睪 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An eye 目 on top of a tower 幸.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 睪
Picture an eye 罒 perched on top of 幸, which the hint describes as a tower. A watcher sitting high on a tower keeps an eye on everyone below, so 睪 (yì) means to observe or spy on.
睪 (yì) is archaic and almost never used alone in modern Chinese. Today you mostly meet its shape as a component inside other characters, and as a variant of 睾 (gāo) in the word 睾丸 (gāowán, testicle). Example: 睾丸 (gāowán) testicle.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 睪 with 睾 (gāo). 睾 has 夲 at the bottom, while 睪 has 幸, and 睾 is the standard form in 睾丸. Also do not read 睪 as gāo when it stands alone in old texts, where it is read yì.
Common words with 睪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 睪丸 | gāowán | testicle |
Characters that contain 睪
Learning 睪 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 睪
How many strokes are in 睪?
睪 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 睪 mean?
睪 (yì) means to spy on. A common word with it is 睾丸 (gāowán), meaning "testicle".
How do you pronounce 睪?
睪 is pronounced yì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 睪?
The radical of 睪 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 睪 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 睪?
睪 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 睾, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Which characters use 睪 as a component?
睪 appears as a part of characters such as 譯 (yì, translate), 擇 (zé, choose), 澤 (zé, marsh) and 釋 (shì, explain). In simplified Chinese these are written 译, 择, 泽 and 释, where the 睪 part becomes ⺍ plus 又 written as 圣-like shape 㚒.
Why does 睾丸 contain a character that looks like 睪?
睾 (gāo) is closely related in shape to 睪, and 睪 is sometimes used as a variant form of it, especially in traditional texts. In standard modern writing, use 睾丸 (gāowán).