羲 meaning and stroke order
An ancient emperor; breath, vapor
How to write 羲, stroke by stroke
16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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How 羲 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 羊 (sheep), shared by 23 characters on this site.
How to remember 羲
Picture a sheep 羊 on top, grain 禾 and a weapon 戈 in the middle, and 丂 at the bottom like a puff of breath rising. A legendary ruler who gave his people sheep and grain earned this grand, rare character.
羲 (xī) almost only appears in names, most famously 伏羲 (Fúxī), the mythical ancestor-ruler of Chinese legend. You will also see it in the name of the calligrapher 王羲之 (Wáng Xīzhī). Example: 伏羲是传说中的古代帝王。(Fúxī shì chuánshuō zhōng de gǔdài dìwáng.) Fuxi is a legendary ancient emperor.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 羲 with 義 (yì, the traditional form of 义, righteousness), because both have 羊 on top. 羲 has 禾 and 丂 underneath, while 義 has 我 underneath.
Characters that contain 羲
Learning 羲 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 羲
How many strokes are in 羲?
羲 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 羲 mean?
羲 (xī) means an ancient emperor; breath, vapor.
How do you pronounce 羲?
羲 is pronounced xī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 羲?
The radical of 羲 is 羊, which carries the idea of "sheep". Dictionaries list 羲 under this radical.
Who was Fuxi (伏羲)?
伏羲 is a figure from Chinese mythology, often listed among the earliest legendary rulers. Tradition credits him with inventing the eight trigrams 八卦 (bāguà) and teaching people to fish and hunt.
Is 羲 used in everyday modern Chinese?
Not really. It appears mainly in names like 伏羲 and 王羲之, and occasionally in personal given names. The meaning breath or vapor is classical and not used in daily speech.