组 meaning and stroke order
To form; to organize; group
How to write 组, stroke by stroke
8 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
Meaning of 组
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to form
- to organize
- group
- team
- classifier for sets, series, groups of people, batteries
How 组 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 且 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 组
组 is built from 纟 (thread) on the left and 且 (qiě) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture threads being tied together into one bundle, like people joined into a group.
组 appears in many words about forming or organizing things, such as 组织 (zǔzhī) and 组成 (zǔchéng). It also works as a classifier for sets or groups. Example: 我们分成三个小组。(Wǒmen fēnchéng sān gè xiǎozǔ.) We split into three small groups.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 组 (zǔ) with 祖 (zǔ, ancestor), which has the same sound and the same 且 part but uses 礻 on the left. Remember that thread 纟 ties things into groups, while 礻 relates to worship and ancestors.
Common words with 组
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 小组 | xiǎozǔ | group | HSK 2 |
| 组成 | zǔchéng | to form; to make up | HSK 2 |
| 组长 | zǔzhǎng | group leader | HSK 2 |
| 组合 | zǔhé | to assemble; to combine; to compose; combination; association; set; compilation | HSK 3 |
| 分组 | fēn zǔ | to divide into groups; group (formed from a larger group) | HSK 3 |
| 组织 | zǔzhī | to organize; organization | HSK 5 |
| 重组 | chóngzǔ | to reorganize; to recombine; to restructure | HSK 6 |
| 组建 | zǔjiàn | to organize; to set up | HSK 7-9 |
| 组装 | zǔzhuāng | to assemble; to put together | HSK 7-9 |
| 剧组 | jùzǔ | cast and crew; performers and production team | HSK 7-9 |
| 恐怖组织 | kǒngbùzǔzhī | terrorist organization | |
| 组员 | zǔyuán | group member | |
| 组队 | zǔduì | to team up (with); to put a team together | |
| 机组 | jīzǔ | flight crew (on a plane); unit (apparatus) |
组 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 组
How many strokes are in 组?
组 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 组 mean?
组 (zǔ) means to form; to organize; group. A common word with it is 小组 (xiǎozǔ), meaning "group".
How do you pronounce 组?
组 is pronounced zǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 组?
The radical of 组 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 组 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 组?
The traditional form of 组 is 組. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 组 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 组 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 组 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 组 and 队?
组 (zǔ) is a general group or section, often formed for a task, like 学习小组 (study group). 队 (duì) usually means a team or squad, especially in sports or organized units, like 篮球队 (basketball team).
How do I use 组 as a classifier?
Put a number before 组 and a noun after it to count sets or groups, for example 一组照片 (yì zǔ zhàopiàn), a set of photos. It can also count groups of people, as in 两组学生 (liǎng zǔ xuésheng), two groups of students.