至 meaning and stroke order
To arrive; most; to
How to write 至, stroke by stroke
6 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
Meaning of 至
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to arrive
- most
- to
- until
How 至 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A bird alighting on the ground 土.
How to remember 至
Picture a bird flying down from the sky and landing on the ground 土 at the bottom. It has reached its destination, so 至 (zhì) means to arrive, and by extension the furthest point, extremely.
至 is rarely used alone in speech and mostly appears in set words like 至少 (zhìshǎo), 甚至 (shènzhì), and 至今 (zhìjīn). In writing it can mean 'to' or 'until' in ranges, as in 从一月至三月 (cóng yīyuè zhì sānyuè), from January to March. Example: 我至少要学一个小时。(Wǒ zhìshǎo yào xué yí gè xiǎoshí.) I have to study for at least an hour.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 至 with 到 (dào), which contains 至 plus the knife radical 刂. 到 is the everyday verb for arrive, while 至 is more formal and mostly found in fixed words. Also do not mix up 至 with 致 (zhì, to send or cause), which has the same sound but adds 攵 on the right.
Common words with 至
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 至少 | zhìshǎo | at least; (to say the) least | HSK 3 |
| 至今 | zhìjīn | so far; to this day | HSK 3 |
| 甚至 | shènzhì | even; so much so that | HSK 4 |
| 至于 | zhìyú | as for; as to | HSK 6 |
| 不至于 | bùzhìyú | unlikely to go so far as to; not as bad as | HSK 6 |
| 截至 | jiézhì | up to (a time); by (a time) | HSK 6 |
| 直至 | zhízhì | lasting until; up till (the present) | HSK 7-9 |
| 以至于 | yǐzhìyú | down to; up to | HSK 7-9 |
| 至关重要 | zhìguān-zhòngyào | extremely important; vital | HSK 7-9 |
| 至此 | zhìcǐ | up until now; so far | HSK 7-9 |
| 乃至 | nǎizhì | and even; to go so far as to | HSK 7-9 |
| 自始至终 | zìshǐ-zhìzhōng | from start to finish (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 甚至于 | shènzhìyú | so much (that); even (to the extent that) | HSK 7-9 |
| 无微不至 | wúwēi-bùzhì | in every possible way (idiom); meticulous | HSK 7-9 |
至 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 至
Learning 至 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 至
How many strokes are in 至?
至 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 至 mean?
至 (zhì) means to arrive; most; to. A common word with it is 至少 (zhìshǎo), meaning "at least; (to say the) least".
How do you pronounce 至?
至 is pronounced zhì, in the fourth tone (falling).
Is 至 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 至 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.
What is the difference between 甚至 and 以至于?
甚至 (shènzhì) means 'even' and adds a surprising extreme, as in 他甚至忘了自己的名字, he even forgot his own name. 以至于 (yǐzhìyú) means 'so much that' and introduces a result of what came before.
How do you use 至于 and 不至于?
至于 (zhìyú) starts a new topic and means 'as for', as in 至于钱的问题，我们以后再说, as for the money, we will talk later. 不至于 (bùzhìyú) means something is not so bad as to reach a certain result, as in 不至于这么难吧, it can't be that hard.