祢 meaning and stroke order
One's deceased father
How to write 祢, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
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- 8
- 9
Meaning of 祢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- you (used to address a deity)
- memorial tablet in a temple commemorating a deceased father
How 祢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Spirit.
礻 gives the meaning and 尔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 礻 (spirit), shared by 43 characters on this site.
How to remember 祢
The spirit radical 礻 sits beside 尔 (ěr), which gives the sound. Picture a spirit tablet on the altar for someone close to you, your late father.
As mí, 祢 is a rare literary word for the memorial tablet of a deceased father in an ancestral temple, and it is also a surname, as in 祢衡 (Mí Héng), a writer of the late Han period. As nǐ, it is used mainly by Christians in Taiwan and Hong Kong to address God respectfully. Example: 主啊，祢是我的力量。(Zhǔ a, nǐ shì wǒ de lìliang.) Lord, you are my strength.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 祢 with 你 (nǐ) and 妳 (nǐ). 祢 uses the spirit radical 礻, not the person radical 亻, and it is only used for a deity. Also do not write the clothing radical 衤 by mistake. It has one more stroke than 礻.
Questions about 祢
How many strokes are in 祢?
祢 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 祢 mean?
祢 (mí) means one's deceased father.
How do you pronounce 祢?
祢 is pronounced mí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 祢?
The radical of 祢 is 礻, which carries the idea of "spirit". Dictionaries list 祢 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 祢?
The traditional form of 祢 is 禰. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 祢 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
When should I read 祢 as nǐ and when as mí?
Read it nǐ when it means you and is addressed to God or a deity, which is common in hymns and prayers. Read it mí when it refers to a father's memorial tablet, or when it is a surname.
Can I use 祢 to say you to a normal person?
No. Using 祢 for a person would sound strange or overly worshipful. For people, use 你 (nǐ), or 您 (nín) to be polite.