碼 meaning and stroke order
Number, numeral, symbol; yard
How to write 碼, stroke by stroke
15 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
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
Meaning of 碼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (archaic) agate
- (bound form) standard weight used with a balance scale
- number
- (computing) code
- (clothing) size
- yard (unit of length)
How 碼 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Stone.
石 gives the meaning and 馬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 碼
碼 combines 石 (stone) on the left with 馬 (mǎ, horse) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a horse carrying stone weights used on an old balance scale, and those weights became a way of counting and marking numbers.
碼 is the traditional form of 码, and it appears in many everyday words about numbers and codes, such as 號碼 (hàomǎ, number), 密碼 (mìmǎ, password) and 代碼 (dàimǎ, code). It also means clothing size and the unit yard. Example: 你的電話號碼是多少？ (Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshǎo?) What is your phone number?
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 媽 (mā, mom) or 瑪 (mǎ, agate) instead of 碼, since all share 馬 on the right. Remember that 碼 has 石 (stone) on the left, not 女 or 王.
Common words with 碼
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 號碼 | hàomǎ | number | HSK 4 |
| 密碼 | mìmǎ | cipher; secret code; password; PIN | HSK 4 |
| 數碼 | shùmǎ | number; numerals | HSK 4 |
| 碼頭 | mǎtóu | wharf; dock; quay; pier | HSK 5 |
| 起碼 | qǐmǎ | at the minimum; at the very least | HSK 5 |
| 二維碼 | èrwéimǎ | 2D barcode; matrix code; (esp.) QR code | HSK 5 |
| 籌碼 | chóumǎ | bargaining chip; gaming chip; casino token | HSK 7-9 |
| 代碼 | dàimǎ | code | |
| 編碼 | biānmǎ | to code; to encode | |
| 尺碼 | chǐmǎ | size; fitting (of apparel) | |
| 兩碼事 | liǎngmǎshì | two things that are fundamentally different from each other; two very different things | |
| 解碼 | jiěmǎ | to decode; to decipher | |
| 價碼 | jiàmǎ | price tag | |
| 碼線 | mǎxiàn | yard line (sports) |
Questions about 碼
How many strokes are in 碼?
碼 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 碼 mean?
碼 (mǎ) means number, numeral, symbol; yard. A common word with it is 号码 (hàomǎ), meaning "number".
How do you pronounce 碼?
碼 is pronounced mǎ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 碼?
The radical of 碼 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 碼 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 碼?
碼 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 码, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 起碼 (qǐmǎ) mean and how is it used?
起碼 means at least or at the very minimum. It often goes before a number or a basic requirement, as in 起碼要三天 (qǐmǎ yào sān tiān), it takes at least three days.
Why does 碼頭 (mǎtóu) mean dock or pier?
In 碼頭 the word refers to a wharf where boats load and unload. You can learn it as a fixed word, for example 我們在碼頭見 (wǒmen zài mǎtóu jiàn), let's meet at the pier.