絕 meaning and stroke order
To cut, to sever; to break off, to terminate
How to write 絕, stroke by stroke
12 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
- 12
Meaning of 絕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cut short
- extinct
- to disappear
- to vanish
- absolutely
- by no means
How 絕 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To cut 刀 thread 糹; 巴 provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 絕
A knife 刀 slices through a thread 糹, and the thread is cut off for good. The 巴 under the knife hints at the sound, so picture the knife chopping with a quick snap.
絕 (jué) appears mostly in compounds about ending, refusing, or something being extreme, like 拒絕 (jùjué, to refuse) and 絕對 (juéduì, absolute). Before a negative it means "by no means": 我絕不放棄。(Wǒ jué bù fàngqì.) I will never give up.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 絕 with 色 (sè, color) because the right side looks similar, but 絕 has 刀 on top of 巴 and the thread radical 糹 on the left. Also keep the second tone in jué; do not say juè or jüé with a different tone.
Common words with 絕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 絕對 | juéduì | absolute; unconditional | HSK 3 |
| 拒絕 | jùjué | to refuse; to decline; to reject | HSK 5 |
| 絕望 | juéwàng | to despair; to give up all hope | HSK 5 |
| 絕大多數 | jué dàduōshù | the vast majority | HSK 6 |
| 滅絕 | mièjué | to become extinct; to die out; to lose (sth abstract) completely | HSK 7-9 |
| 絕招 | juézhāo | unique skill; unexpected tricky move (as a last resort) | HSK 7-9 |
| 絕技 | juéjì | consummate skill; supreme feat | HSK 7-9 |
| 滔滔不絕 | tāotāo-bùjué | (idiom) to produce a torrent of words; to talk on and on | HSK 7-9 |
| 杜絕 | dùjué | to put an end to | HSK 7-9 |
| 絕緣 | juéyuán | to have no contact with; to be cut off from | HSK 7-9 |
| 絡繹不絕 | luòyì-bùjué | (idiom) continuously; in an endless stream | HSK 7-9 |
| 讚不絕口 | zànbùjuékǒu | (idiom) can't stop praising | HSK 7-9 |
| 絕不 | juébù | in no way; not in the least; absolutely not | |
| 絕地 | juédì | danger spot; Jedi (in Star Wars) |
Questions about 絕
How many strokes are in 絕?
絕 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 絕 mean?
絕 (jué) means to cut, to sever; to break off, to terminate. A common word with it is 绝对 (juéduì), meaning "absolute; unconditional".
How do you pronounce 絕?
絕 is pronounced jué, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 絕?
The radical of 絕 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 絕 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 絕?
絕 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 绝, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 絕對 and 一定?
絕對 (juéduì) stresses absoluteness with no exceptions, like "absolutely." 一定 (yídìng) means "certainly" or "must" and is milder. 我絕對沒說過 sounds stronger than 我一定沒說過.
Why does 絕 also mean "superb," as in 絕技?
The idea of cutting off extends to something so good that nothing can match it. 絕技 (juéjì) and 絕招 (juézhāo) describe a skill that is unmatched. In casual speech 太絕了 (tài jué le) can mean "brilliant" or "incredible."