竭 meaning and stroke order
To exhaust; to put forth great effort
How to write 竭, stroke by stroke
14 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 竭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to exhaust
How 竭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Stand.
立 gives the meaning and 曷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 立 (to stand), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 竭
竭 is built from 立 (lì, stand) on the left and 曷 (hé) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture someone still trying to stand 立 after giving everything they have, until their strength is used up.
竭 is a formal, literary character that rarely appears alone. It shows up in set words like 竭力 (jiélì), 枯竭 (kūjié) and 衰竭 (shuāijié), and in idioms about effort. Example: 我们会竭尽全力帮助你。(Wǒmen huì jiéjìn quánlì bāngzhù nǐ.) We will do our utmost to help you.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 竭 with 渴 (kě, thirsty) and 喝 (hē, to drink), which share the 曷 part. Remember that 竭 has 立 on the left and is read jié with a rising tone.
Common words with 竭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 竭尽全力 | jiéjìn-quánlì | (idiom) to spare no effort; to do one's utmost | HSK 7-9 |
| 衰竭 | shuāijié | (of an organ or bodily function) failure; to fail; (of resources etc) exhaustion; depletio | HSK 7-9 |
| 精疲力竭 | jīngpí-lìjié | spirit weary, strength exhausted (idiom); spent; drained | HSK 7-9 |
| 竭力 | jiélì | to do one's utmost | HSK 7-9 |
| 枯竭 | kūjié | used up; dried up |
竭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 竭
How many strokes are in 竭?
竭 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 竭 mean?
竭 (jié) means to exhaust; to put forth great effort. A common word with it is 竭尽全力 (jiéjìn-quánlì), meaning "(idiom) to spare no effort; to do one's utmost".
How do you pronounce 竭?
竭 is pronounced jié, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 竭?
The radical of 竭 is 立, which carries the idea of "to stand". Dictionaries list 竭 under this radical.
Is 竭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 竭 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 竭力 and 努力?
努力 (nǔlì) is the everyday word for working hard. 竭力 (jiélì) is more formal and stronger. It means putting in every bit of effort you have, so it often appears in writing or official speech.
How is 竭 used in medical Chinese?
In medicine 竭 appears in 衰竭 (shuāijié), meaning organ failure. For example, 心力衰竭 (xīnlì shuāijié) is heart failure and 肾衰竭 (shèn shuāijié) is kidney failure.