竹 meaning and stroke order
Bamboo; flute
How to write 竹, stroke by stroke
6 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
Meaning of 竹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) bamboo
- Kangxi radical 118
How 竹 is built
Pictographic character. Two stalks of bamboo.
How to remember 竹
竹 (zhú) is a picture of two bamboo stalks standing side by side, each with a drooping leaf at the top. Picture two thin stems with leaves hanging down and you have bamboo.
竹 is a bound form, so on its own it usually appears inside words like 竹子 (zhúzi), 竹竿 (zhúgān) and 爆竹 (bàozhú). Example: 熊猫喜欢吃竹子。(Xióngmāo xǐhuan chī zhúzi.) Pandas like to eat bamboo.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 竹 alone to mean bamboo, but in everyday speech the natural word is 竹子 (zhúzi). Also keep the second tone in zhú and do not confuse it with 住 (zhù, to live) or 主 (zhǔ, main).
Common words with 竹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
竹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 竹
How many strokes are in 竹?
竹 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 竹 mean?
竹 (zhú) means bamboo; flute. A common word with it is 竹子 (zhúzi), meaning "bamboo".
How do you pronounce 竹?
竹 is pronounced zhú, in the second tone (rising).
Is 竹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 竹 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why do so many characters have 竹 on top?
When 竹 sits on top of a character it is squeezed into the form ⺮. It often marks things once made of bamboo, such as 笔 (bǐ, brush or pen), 筷 (kuài, chopstick) and 箱 (xiāng, box).
What does 胸有成竹 mean and why bamboo?
胸有成竹 (xiōngyǒuchéngzhú) literally means having a finished bamboo in your chest. It describes a painter who pictures the whole bamboo before painting, so it means having a clear plan in mind before acting.