粹 meaning and stroke order
Pure, unadulterated; essence
How to write 粹, 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 粹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- pure
- unmixed
- essence
How 粹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grain.
米 gives the meaning and 卒 hints at the sound.
Radical: 米 (rice), shared by 50 characters on this site.
How to remember 粹
粹 combines 米 (rice, grain) on the left with 卒 (zú) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture rice that has been sifted until only the best, purest grains are left: that is the essence.
粹 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in words like 纯粹 (chúncuì, pure) and 精粹 (jīngcuì, essence, the finest part). Example: 这是纯粹的误会。(Zhè shì chúncuì de wùhuì.) This is purely a misunderstanding.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 粹 with 碎 (suì, broken) and 醉 (zuì, drunk), which share the 卒 part. Remember that 米 marks the pure grain in 粹, 石 marks smashed stone in 碎, and 酉 marks wine in 醉.
Common words with 粹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 纯粹 | chúncuì | pure; unadulterated | HSK 7-9 |
粹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 粹
How many strokes are in 粹?
粹 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 粹 mean?
粹 (cuì) means pure, unadulterated; essence. A common word with it is 纯粹 (chúncuì), meaning "pure; unadulterated".
How do you pronounce 粹?
粹 is pronounced cuì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 粹?
The radical of 粹 is 米, which carries the idea of "rice". Dictionaries list 粹 under this radical.
Is 粹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 粹 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 纯粹 be used as an adverb meaning purely or simply?
Yes. 纯粹 often goes before a verb or phrase to mean purely or simply, as in 我纯粹是好奇 (wǒ chúncuì shì hàoqí), I am simply curious. It can also describe something as pure, as in 纯粹的金子 (chúncuì de jīnzi), pure gold.
What does 国粹 mean?
国粹 (guócuì) means the quintessence of a nation's culture, such as Peking opera or traditional medicine. It uses the essence sense of 粹.