秦 meaning and stroke order
The Qin dynasty (eponymous for China)
How to write 秦, stroke by stroke
10 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
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- 9
- 10
How 秦 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 禾 (cereal), shared by 66 characters on this site.
How to remember 秦
The bottom of 秦 (qín) is 禾 (hé), a grain plant. Picture the Qin state as a land of rich grain fields that fed the army which first unified China.
秦 is mostly used for the Qin dynasty and state, as a common surname, and as a short name for Shaanxi province. Example: 秦始皇统一了中国。(Qín Shǐhuáng tǒngyī le Zhōngguó.) The First Emperor of Qin unified China.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 秦 (qín) with 泰 (tài, as in 泰山) and 奏 (zòu, to play music), because all three share the same top part. Check the bottom: 秦 has 禾, 泰 has 氺, and 奏 has 天.
秦 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 秦
Learning 秦 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 秦
How many strokes are in 秦?
秦 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 秦 mean?
秦 (qín) means the Qin dynasty (eponymous for China).
How do you pronounce 秦?
秦 is pronounced qín, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 秦?
The radical of 秦 is 禾, which carries the idea of "cereal". Dictionaries list 秦 under this radical.
Is 秦 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 秦 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is the English word China related to 秦?
Many scholars think the name China may come from Qin, the dynasty that unified the country in 221 BC. That is why the definition calls it eponymous for China. The theory is widely cited but still debated.
Why is 秦 used for Shaanxi province?
Shaanxi was the home territory of the ancient Qin state, so 秦 became its one-character abbreviation. You will see it in phrases like 秦腔 (qínqiāng), a traditional opera from that region.