紮 meaning and stroke order
To tie, to fasten, to bind
How to write 紮, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 紮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to tie
- to bind
- classifier for flowers, banknotes etc: bundle
- Taiwan pr. [zha2]
- (of troops) to be stationed (at)
- Taiwan pr. [zha2]
How 紮 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糸 gives the meaning and 札 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糸 (silk), shared by 27 characters on this site.
How to remember 紮
紮 is built from 札 (zhá) on top, which gives the sound, and 糸 (thread) below, which gives the meaning. Picture a strip of wood 札 being bound tightly with thread 糸 to tie it into a bundle.
紮 is the traditional form used for tying and binding, as in 包紮 (bāozā, to bandage or wrap up), and as a classifier for bundles of flowers or banknotes. Read zhā, it means troops being stationed, as in 駐紮 (zhùzhā). Example: 他用布把傷口包紮好了。(Tā yòng bù bǎ shāngkǒu bāozā hǎo le.) He bandaged the wound with cloth.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 紮 as zā, but in 駐紮 (zhùzhā) and 紮營 (zhāyíng) it is zhā, and Taiwan uses zhá for both. Also do not confuse the top part 札 with 扎 alone; in simplified Chinese these words are all written 扎.
Common words with 紮
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 紮
How many strokes are in 紮?
紮 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 紮 mean?
紮 (zā) means to tie, to fasten, to bind. A common word with it is 扎实 (zhāshi), meaning "strong; solid".
How do you pronounce 紮?
紮 is pronounced zā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 紮?
The radical of 紮 is 糸, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 紮 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 紮?
紮 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 扎, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do the common words show 扎 instead of 紮?
In simplified Chinese, 紮 was merged into 扎, so mainland texts write 包扎 and 驻扎. In Taiwan and Hong Kong you will still see 紮 for the tying and stationing senses.
How do I use 紮 as a measure word?
Put it after a number for a bundle of something tied together, such as 一紮花 (yī zā huā, a bunch of flowers) or 一紮鈔票 (yī zā chāopiào, a wad of banknotes). It suggests the items are bound with string or a band.