組 meaning and stroke order
To form, to assemble; section, department
How to write 組, 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 組
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to form
- to organize
- group
- team
- classifier for sets, series, groups of people, batteries
How 組 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 且 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 組
組 (zǔ) has the silk radical 糹 (thread) on the left and 且 (qiě) on the right as the sound hint. Picture threads being tied together into one bundle, the way people are joined to form a group.
組 means to form or organize, and also a group or team. It works as a classifier for sets or groups too. Example: 我們分成三組。(Wǒmen fēnchéng sān zǔ.) We split into three groups.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 組 (zǔ) with 祖 (zǔ, ancestor) and 租 (zū, to rent), since all three share 且 on the right. Check the left side: thread 糹 for groups, 示 for ancestors, grain 禾 for rent.
Common words with 組
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 小組 | xiǎozǔ | group | HSK 2 |
| 組成 | zǔchéng | to form; to make up | HSK 2 |
| 組長 | zǔzhǎng | group leader | HSK 2 |
| 組合 | zǔhé | to assemble; to combine; to compose; combination; association; set; compilation | HSK 3 |
| 分組 | fēn zǔ | to divide into groups; group (formed from a larger group) | HSK 3 |
| 組織 | zǔzhī | to organize; organization | HSK 5 |
| 重組 | chóngzǔ | to reorganize; to recombine; to restructure | HSK 6 |
| 組建 | zǔjiàn | to organize; to set up | HSK 7-9 |
| 組裝 | zǔzhuāng | to assemble; to put together | HSK 7-9 |
| 劇組 | jùzǔ | cast and crew; performers and production team | HSK 7-9 |
| 恐怖組織 | kǒngbùzǔzhī | terrorist organization | |
| 組員 | zǔyuán | group member | |
| 組隊 | zǔduì | to team up (with); to put a team together | |
| 機組 | jīzǔ | flight crew (on a plane); unit (apparatus) |
Questions about 組
How many strokes are in 組?
組 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 組 mean?
組 (zǔ) means to form, to assemble; section, department. A common word with it is 小组 (xiǎozǔ), meaning "group".
How do you pronounce 組?
組 is pronounced zǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 組?
The radical of 組 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 組 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 組?
組 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 组, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 組 and 組織?
組 alone usually means a small group or works as a classifier, as in 一組 (yì zǔ, one set). 組織 (zǔzhī) is the full word for to organize or an organization, and it sounds more formal.
Why do I see 组 in some places and 組 in others?
They are the same character. 组 is the simplified form used in mainland China, and 組 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Only the thread radical is written differently.