給 meaning and stroke order
To give, to lend; for, by
How to write 給, 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 給
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to
- for
- for the benefit of
- to give
- to allow
- to do sth (for sb)
- (bound form) to supply; to provide
- (literary) sufficient; abundant
How 給 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 合 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 給
給 is built from 糹 (silk thread) on the left and 合 (hé, to join) on the right. Picture joining threads together to hand someone a gift of silk, and you have "to give." 合 also hints at the sound.
給 (gěi) works as a main verb meaning "to give" and as a preposition meaning "for" or "to." It often follows verbs of handing over, as in 送給 (sòng gěi) and 交給 (jiāo gěi). Example: 我給你打電話。(Wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.) I will call you.
Common mistake: Learners often read 給 as gěi in every word, but in literary or formal compounds like 給予 (jǐyǔ) and 供給 (gōngjǐ) it is read jǐ. Also do not confuse the right side 合 with 拾 or 答, which look similar but mean different things.
Common words with 給
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 交給 | jiāo gěi | to give; to deliver; to hand over | HSK 2 |
| 送給 | sòng gěi | to send; to give as a present | HSK 2 |
| 遞給 | dì gěi | to hand it (i.e. the aforementioned item) to (sb) | HSK 5 |
| 給予 | jǐyǔ | (literary) to give; to accord; to render | HSK 6 |
| 供給 | gōngjǐ | to furnish; to provide | HSK 6 |
| 補給 | bǔjǐ | supply; replenishment | HSK 7-9 |
| 還給 | huángěi | to return sth to sb | |
| 留給 | liúgěi | to set aside for | |
| 帶給 | dàigěi | to give to; to provide to | |
| 傳給 | chuángěi | to pass on to; to transfer to; to hand on to; (in football etc) to pass to | |
| 借給 | jiègěi | to lend to sb | |
| 發給 | fāgěi | to issue; to grant | |
| 付給 | fùgěi | to deliver; to pay | |
| 輸給 | shūgěi | to lose to (sb); to be outdone by |
Questions about 給
How many strokes are in 給?
給 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 給 mean?
給 (gěi) means to give, to lend; for, by. A common word with it is 交给 (jiāo gěi), meaning "to give; to deliver; to hand over".
How do you pronounce 給?
給 is pronounced gěi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 給?
The radical of 給 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 給 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 給?
給 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 给, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Where does 給 go in a sentence when it means "for"?
As a preposition, 給 plus the person comes before the main verb: 他給我做飯 (tā gěi wǒ zuò fàn), he cooks for me. Putting it after the verb usually only works with verbs of giving, like 送給 or 還給.
Can 給 mean "to let" or "to allow"?
Yes. In spoken Chinese 給 can mean "to let someone do something," as in 給我看看 (gěi wǒ kànkan), let me have a look. It can also mark the passive in casual speech, similar to 被.