窄 meaning and stroke order
Narrow; narrow-minded; badly off
How to write 窄, 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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Meaning of 窄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- narrow
- narrow-minded
- badly off
How 窄 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cave.
穴 gives the meaning and 乍 hints at the sound.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 窄
Picture a cave 穴 (xué) on top, and below it 乍 (zhà), which gives the sound. A cave opening is a tight, narrow space you have to squeeze through, so 窄 (zhǎi) means narrow.
窄 (zhǎi) describes physical width, like roads, doors, or rooms, and is the opposite of 宽 (kuān, wide). It can also describe a person who is narrow-minded, as in 心眼儿窄. Example: 这条路很窄。 (Zhè tiáo lù hěn zhǎi.) This road is very narrow.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 作 or 怎 because they share the 乍 part. The bottom of 窄 is only 乍, with no 亻 or 心. Also remember the third tone, zhǎi, not zhāi as in 摘 (to pick).
Common words with 窄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 狭窄 | xiázhǎi | narrow | HSK 7-9 |
窄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 窄
Learning 窄 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 窄
How many strokes are in 窄?
窄 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 窄 mean?
窄 (zhǎi) means narrow; narrow-minded; badly off. A common word with it is 狭窄 (xiázhǎi), meaning "narrow".
How do you pronounce 窄?
窄 is pronounced zhǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 窄?
The radical of 窄 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 窄 under this radical.
Is 窄 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 窄 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 窄 and 狭窄?
窄 is the everyday single word, used after 很 or in short sentences. 狭窄 (xiázhǎi) is more formal and written, often used for spaces, passages, or narrow views, as in 狭窄的街道.
How do you say someone is narrow-minded with 窄?
Common phrases are 心眼儿窄 (xīnyǎnr zhǎi) or 心胸窄 (xīnxiōng zhǎi), both meaning petty or not open-minded. You would not usually say a person is just 窄 alone.