芥 meaning and stroke order
Mustard, broccoli
How to write 芥, stroke by stroke
7 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 芥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- see 芥藍|芥蓝[gai4 lan2]
- mustard
How 芥 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plant.
艹 gives the meaning and 介 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 芥
The grass radical 艹 on top says this is a plant, and 介 (jiè) underneath gives the sound. Picture a small plant sitting on top of 介 to remember that 芥 (jiè) is the mustard plant.
芥 mostly appears in food words, especially 芥末 (jièmo), which can mean mustard or the green wasabi served with sushi. Example: 我吃寿司喜欢放芥末。(Wǒ chī shòusī xǐhuan fàng jièmo.) I like to add wasabi when I eat sushi.
Common mistake: Learners often read 芥蓝 (Chinese broccoli) as jièlán, but in this word the character is read gài, so it is gàilán. Also do not confuse 芥 with 介 (jiè, to introduce), which has no grass radical on top.
Common words with 芥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 芥末 | jièmo | mustard; wasabi |
芥 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 芥
How many strokes are in 芥?
芥 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 芥 mean?
芥 (jiè) means mustard, broccoli. A common word with it is 芥末 (jièmo), meaning "mustard; wasabi".
How do you pronounce 芥?
芥 is pronounced jiè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 芥?
The radical of 芥 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 芥 under this radical.
Does 芥末 mean yellow mustard or wasabi?
It can mean both. In everyday Chinese, especially in restaurants, 芥末 often means the green wasabi paste. Yellow mustard is sometimes called 黄芥末 (huáng jièmo) to be clear.
What does 芥蒂 mean?
芥蒂 (jièdì) is a fixed expression meaning a lingering grudge or bad feeling between people. For example, 心存芥蒂 (xīn cún jièdì) means to hold a grudge in your heart.