耋 meaning and stroke order
Aged; in one's eighties
How to write 耋, 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.
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Meaning of 耋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- aged
- in one's eighties
How 耋 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Old.
老 gives the meaning and 至 hints at the sound.
Radical: 老 (old), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 耋
耋 is 老 (lǎo, old) on top of 至 (zhì, to arrive). Picture someone who has arrived at real old age, their eighties. 老 gives the meaning and 至 hints at the sound.
耋 is a literary character. You mostly see it in the set phrase 耄耋 (mào dié), which means very old people in their eighties and nineties. Example: 他已是耄耋之年。(Tā yǐ shì mào dié zhī nián.) He is already in his eighties or nineties.
Common mistake: Learners often read 耋 as zhì because of its 至 part, but the correct reading is dié with a rising second tone. It is also easy to mix up with 耄 (mào), which has 毛 under 老 instead of 至.
Questions about 耋
How many strokes are in 耋?
耋 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 耋 mean?
耋 (dié) means aged; in one's eighties.
How do you pronounce 耋?
耋 is pronounced dié, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 耋?
The radical of 耋 is 老, which carries the idea of "old". Dictionaries list 耋 under this radical.
What is the difference between 耄 and 耋?
Both mean very old. Traditionally 耋 refers to people around eighty, and 耄 to people around eighty or ninety. Together, 耄耋 simply means advanced old age.
Can I use 耋 by itself in everyday speech?
Almost never. In daily conversation people say 老人 (lǎorén) or 八十多岁 (bāshí duō suì). 耋 appears in formal writing, greetings, and the phrase 耄耋之年.