致 meaning and stroke order
(literary) to send; to transmit; to convey; (bound form) to cause; to lead to; consequently
How to write 致, stroke by stroke
10 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 致
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) fine; delicate; exquisite
- (literary) to send; to transmit; to convey
- (bound form) to cause; to lead to; consequently
How 致 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Rap.
攵 gives the meaning and 至 hints at the sound.
Radical: 至 (reach), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 致
致 combines 至 (zhì), which gives the sound and means to arrive, with 攵, a hand holding a stick to rap or tap. Picture someone tapping a package along until it arrives at its destination: you send it, deliver it, and cause it to get there.
致 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in words like 导致 (dǎozhì, to cause), 一致 (yīzhì, consistent), and 精致 (jīngzhì, exquisite). Example: 粗心导致了错误。(Cūxīn dǎozhì le cuòwù.) Carelessness led to the mistake.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 致 with 到 (dào), since both contain 至. 到 has the knife radical 刂 on the right and means to arrive, while 致 has 攵 and means to send or cause. Also keep 致 (zhì) distinct from 至 (zhì) itself. They sound the same but 至 means to reach or until.
Common words with 致
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 导致 | dǎozhì | to lead to; to create; to cause; to bring about | HSK 4 |
| 一致 | yīzhì | consistent; unanimous; in agreement; together; in unison | HSK 4 |
| 细致 | xìzhì | delicate; fine | HSK 4 |
| 大致 | dàzhì | more or less; roughly; approximately | HSK 5 |
| 此致 | cǐzhì | (used at the end of a letter to introduce a polite salutation) | HSK 6 |
| 致命 | zhìmìng | fatal; mortal | HSK 7-9 |
| 致敬 | zhìjìng | to salute; to pay one's respects to | HSK 7-9 |
| 精致 | jīngzhì | delicate; fine; exquisite; refined | HSK 7-9 |
| 致力于 | zhìlì yú | to devote oneself to; to work toward | HSK 7-9 |
| 兴致 | xìngzhì | mood; spirits | HSK 7-9 |
| 以致 | yǐzhì | with the result that | HSK 7-9 |
| 致富 | zhìfù | to become rich | HSK 7-9 |
| 致使 | zhìshǐ | to cause; to result in | HSK 7-9 |
| 致辞 | zhìcí | to express in words or writing; to make a speech (esp. short introduction, vote of thanks, | HSK 7-9 |
致 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 致
Learning 致 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 致
How many strokes are in 致?
致 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 致 mean?
致 (zhì) means (literary) to send; to transmit; to convey; (bound form) to cause; to lead to; consequently. A common word with it is 导致 (dǎozhì), meaning "to lead to; to create; to cause; to bring about".
How do you pronounce 致?
致 is pronounced zhì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 致?
The radical of 致 is 至, which carries the idea of "reach". Dictionaries list 致 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 致?
The traditional form of 致 is 緻. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 致 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 致 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 致 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What does 此致敬礼 mean at the end of a letter?
此致 (cǐzhì) closes a formal Chinese letter and roughly means 'herewith I present'. It is usually followed on the next line by 敬礼 (jìnglǐ, salute). Together they work like 'Yours respectfully'.
Why does 致 mean both 'to cause' and 'fine, delicate'?
In traditional writing these were two characters. 致 meant to send or cause, and 緻 meant fine or delicate. Simplified Chinese merged them into 致, which is why words like 细致 (xìzhì) and 精致 (jīngzhì) use it for fineness.