绝 meaning and stroke order
To cut short; extinct; to disappear
How to write 绝, stroke by stroke
9 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
Meaning of 绝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cut short
- extinct
- to disappear
- to vanish
- absolutely
- by no means
How 绝 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 色 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 绝
The silk radical 纟 means thread, and 色 (sè) sits beside it as the sound part. Picture a colored thread being cut so it ends, which links to the meaning of cutting off and stopping completely.
绝 is most common in compounds like 绝对 (juéduì, absolutely), 拒绝 (jùjué, to refuse) and 绝望 (juéwàng, to despair). Before a negative it means "by no means": 我绝不放弃。(Wǒ jué bù fàngqì.) I will never give up.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 绝 (jué) with 决 (jué), as in 决定 (juédìng, to decide), because they sound the same. Remember that 绝 has the thread radical 纟 and is about cutting off, while 决 has two dots and is about deciding.
Common words with 绝
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 绝对 | juéduì | absolute; unconditional | HSK 3 |
| 拒绝 | jùjué | to refuse; to decline; to reject | HSK 5 |
| 绝望 | juéwàng | to despair; to give up all hope | HSK 5 |
| 绝大多数 | jué dàduōshù | the vast majority | HSK 6 |
| 灭绝 | mièjué | to become extinct; to die out; to lose (sth abstract) completely | HSK 7-9 |
| 绝招 | juézhāo | unique skill; unexpected tricky move (as a last resort) | HSK 7-9 |
| 绝技 | juéjì | consummate skill; supreme feat | HSK 7-9 |
| 滔滔不绝 | tāotāo-bùjué | (idiom) to produce a torrent of words; to talk on and on | HSK 7-9 |
| 杜绝 | dùjué | to put an end to | HSK 7-9 |
| 绝缘 | juéyuán | to have no contact with; to be cut off from | HSK 7-9 |
| 络绎不绝 | luòyì-bùjué | (idiom) continuously; in an endless stream | HSK 7-9 |
| 赞不绝口 | zànbùjuékǒu | (idiom) can't stop praising | HSK 7-9 |
| 绝不 | juébù | in no way; not in the least; absolutely not | |
| 绝地 | juédì | danger spot; Jedi (in Star Wars) |
绝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 绝
How many strokes are in 绝?
绝 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 绝 mean?
绝 (jué) means to cut short; extinct; to disappear. A common word with it is 绝对 (juéduì), meaning "absolute; unconditional".
How do you pronounce 绝?
绝 is pronounced jué, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 绝?
The radical of 绝 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 绝 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 绝?
The traditional form of 绝 is 絕 and 絶. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 绝 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 绝 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 绝 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why does 绝 sometimes mean "amazing" or "the best"?
From the idea of reaching an end point, 绝 can mean unmatched or supreme. You see this in 绝技 (juéjì, supreme feat) and 绝招 (juézhāo, unique trick), and in casual speech 这个主意真绝 means this idea is brilliant.
What is the difference between 绝对 and 一定?
Both can mean "definitely," but 绝对 (juéduì) is stronger and sounds more absolute, often used for emphasis or promises. 一定 (yídìng) is the everyday neutral choice, and 绝对 also works as an adjective meaning absolute, as in 绝对的权力.