筷 meaning and stroke order
Chopsticks
How to write 筷, stroke by stroke
13 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 筷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- chopstick
How 筷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bamboo.
⺮ gives the meaning and 快 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺮ (bamboo), shared by 149 characters on this site.
How to remember 筷
筷 (kuài) puts the bamboo radical ⺮ on top of 快 (kuài, fast). Think of chopsticks made of bamboo that help you eat fast. The 快 part also gives the sound.
In everyday speech 筷 almost always appears in the word 筷子 (kuàizi), and you rarely see it alone. Chopsticks are counted in pairs with 双 (shuāng). Example: 请给我一双筷子。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yì shuāng kuàizi.) Please give me a pair of chopsticks.
Common mistake: Learners often write just 快 and forget the bamboo radical on top, which turns "chopsticks" into "fast." Also remember that the 子 in 筷子 is read in the neutral tone: kuàizi, not kuài zǐ.
Common words with 筷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 筷子 | kuàizi | chopsticks | HSK 2 |
筷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 筷
How many strokes are in 筷?
筷 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 筷 mean?
筷 (kuài) means chopsticks. A common word with it is 筷子 (kuàizi), meaning "chopsticks".
How do you pronounce 筷?
筷 is pronounced kuài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 筷?
The radical of 筷 is ⺮, which carries the idea of "bamboo". Dictionaries list 筷 under this radical.
Is 筷 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 筷 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do you say "one chopstick" versus "a pair of chopsticks"?
A pair is 一双筷子 (yì shuāng kuàizi). A single stick is 一根筷子 (yì gēn kuàizi), using 根 for long thin objects.
Why does 筷 sound exactly like 快?
筷 is a sound and meaning compound. 快 supplies the pronunciation kuài, and the bamboo radical ⺮ marks the meaning, since chopsticks were made from bamboo.