砌 meaning and stroke order
To pile up, to build; stone steps; rock wall
How to write 砌, stroke by stroke
9 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 砌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to build by laying bricks or stones
- used in 砌末[qie4 mo5]
How 砌 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To cut 切 stone 石; 切 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 砌
On the left is 石 (shí, stone) and on the right is 切 (qiē, to cut). Picture a mason cutting 切 stones 石 to fit them together as he builds a wall.
砌 (qì) is mainly a verb for building with bricks or stones laid one on another, as in 砌墙 (qì qiáng, to build a wall). It also appears in 堆砌 (duīqì), which can describe piling up flowery words in writing. Example: 他在院子里砌了一道墙。(Tā zài yuànzi lǐ qìle yí dào qiáng.) He built a wall in the yard.
Common mistake: Learners often read 砌 as qiē or qiè because of the 切 component, but in everyday use it is fourth tone qì. Also do not confuse it with 彻 (chè, thorough), which shares the 切-like right side but has a different left part.
Common words with 砌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 堆砌 | duīqì | lit. to pile up (bricks); to pack | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 砌
How many strokes are in 砌?
砌 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 砌 mean?
砌 (qì) means to pile up, to build; stone steps; rock wall. A common word with it is 堆砌 (duīqì), meaning "lit. to pile up (bricks); to pack".
How do you pronounce 砌?
砌 is pronounced qì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 砌?
The radical of 砌 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 砌 under this radical.
Is 砌 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 砌 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 砌末 mean and how is it pronounced?
砌末 is read qièmo, with 砌 as qiè. It is a term from traditional Chinese opera for stage props. This is the only common case where 砌 is not read qì.
Is 堆砌 positive or negative when talking about writing?
It is usually negative. Saying a text 堆砌辞藻 (duīqì cízǎo) means it piles up fancy words without real content.