稀 meaning and stroke order
Sparse; scattered; rare; uncommon; diluted; thin; watery
How to write 稀, stroke by stroke
12 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 稀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sparse; scattered
- rare; uncommon
- diluted; thin; watery
- (bound form) sth liquid or of thin consistency (as in 綠豆稀|绿豆稀[lu : 4 dou4 xi1] "sweet mung bean soup")
- (bound form) totally; extremely (used with negative attributes, as in 稀糟[xi1 zao1] "utterly ruined")
How 稀 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grain.
禾 gives the meaning and 希 hints at the sound.
Radical: 禾 (cereal), shared by 66 characters on this site.
How to remember 稀
稀 combines 禾 (grain) with 希 (xī), which gives the sound. Picture a field where the grain plants 禾 grow far apart, so the crop is sparse and thin.
稀 appears mostly in compounds: 稀少 (xīshǎo) for sparse or few, 稀有 (xīyǒu) for rare, and 稀释 (xīshì) for diluting a liquid. It can also describe porridge or soup that is thin and watery. Example: 这里人口很稀少。(Zhèlǐ rénkǒu hěn xīshǎo.) The population here is very sparse.
Common mistake: Learners often write 希 (xī) when they mean 稀, since they sound the same. Use 希 for hope, as in 希望 (xīwàng), and 稀 with the grain radical for rare or sparse things.
Common words with 稀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
稀 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 稀
How many strokes are in 稀?
稀 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 稀 mean?
稀 (xī) means sparse; scattered; rare; uncommon; diluted; thin; watery. A common word with it is 稀罕 (xīhan), meaning "rare; uncommon; rare thing; rarity".
How do you pronounce 稀?
稀 is pronounced xī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 稀?
The radical of 稀 is 禾, which carries the idea of "cereal". Dictionaries list 稀 under this radical.
Is 稀 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 稀 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 稀罕 mean in casual speech?
Besides meaning rare, 稀罕 (xīhan) can mean to value or care about something. People often say it dismissively, as in 我才不稀罕 (wǒ cái bù xīhan), meaning I don't even care about it.
Can 稀 describe food?
Yes. 稀 means thin or watery, so 稀饭 (xīfàn) is a thin rice porridge. If soup is too watery, you can say 汤太稀了 (tāng tài xī le).