籌 meaning and stroke order
Chip, tally, token; to plan; to raise money
How to write 籌, stroke by stroke
20 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 籌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- chip (in gambling); token (for counting); ticket
- to prepare; to plan; to raise (funds)
- resource; way; means
How 籌 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bamboo.
⺮ gives the meaning and 壽 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺮ (bamboo), shared by 149 characters on this site.
How to remember 籌
籌 is bamboo ⺮ on top of 壽 (shòu), which gives the sound. Picture bamboo sticks used as counting tokens, the tally sticks people once used to count and plan.
籌 (simplified 筹) appears mostly in compound words about planning and raising money, such as 筹备 (chóubèi) and 筹集 (chóují). It also means a chip or bargaining token in 筹码 (chóumǎ). Example: 他们在筹集资金。(Tāmen zài chóují zījīn.) They are raising funds.
Common mistake: Learners often read it as shòu because of the phonetic 壽, but the correct reading is chóu with a second tone. Also do not confuse it with 酬 (chóu, to pay or reward), which sounds the same but has a different meaning.
Common words with 籌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 籌碼 | chóumǎ | bargaining chip; gaming chip; casino token | HSK 7-9 |
| 籌備 | chóubèi | preparations; to get ready for sth | HSK 7-9 |
| 籌劃 | chóuhuà | to plan and prepare | HSK 7-9 |
| 籌集 | chóují | to collect money; to raise funds | HSK 7-9 |
| 籌辦 | chóubàn | to arrange; to make preparations | HSK 7-9 |
| 籌措 | chóucuò | to raise (money) | HSK 7-9 |
| 統籌 | tǒngchóu | an overall plan; to plan an entire project as a whole | HSK 7-9 |
| 一籌莫展 | yīchóu-mòzhǎn | to be unable to find a solution; to be at wits' end | HSK 7-9 |
| 籌款 | chóukuǎn | fundraising | |
| 籌錢 | chóuqián | to raise money |
Questions about 籌
How many strokes are in 籌?
籌 is written with 20 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 籌 mean?
籌 (chóu) means chip, tally, token; to plan; to raise money. A common word with it is 筹码 (chóumǎ), meaning "bargaining chip; gaming chip; casino token".
How do you pronounce 籌?
籌 is pronounced chóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 籌?
The radical of 籌 is ⺮, which carries the idea of "bamboo". Dictionaries list 籌 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 籌?
籌 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 筹, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 一筹莫展 mean and when is it used?
一筹莫展 (yīchóu-mòzhǎn) means you cannot come up with a single plan, so you are at your wits' end. It is used when someone is stuck on a problem with no way forward.
Is 筹码 only used for gambling chips?
No. 筹码 (chóumǎ) also means a bargaining chip in negotiations, something you can use to gain an advantage. This figurative use is very common in news and business Chinese.