茎 meaning and stroke order
Stalk; stem
How to write 茎, stroke by stroke
8 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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- 8
Meaning of 茎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- stalk
- stem
How 茎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grass.
艹 gives the meaning.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 茎
The grass radical 艹 on top tells you this is about plants. Picture the grass sitting on the part of the plant that holds it up: the stem, 茎 (jīng).
茎 (jīng) is a fairly formal or scientific word for a plant stem, common in biology and botany. It also appears in anatomical terms such as 阴茎 (yīnjīng, penis). Example: 这种植物的茎很粗。(Zhè zhǒng zhíwù de jīng hěn cū.) This plant's stem is very thick.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 茎 (jīng) with 经 (jīng, to pass through) because they sound the same and share a similar right or lower part. Remember that 茎 has the grass radical 艹 because it belongs to plants, while 经 has the silk radical 纟.
Common words with 茎
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 阴茎 | yīnjīng | penis |
茎 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 茎
How many strokes are in 茎?
茎 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 茎 mean?
茎 (jīng) means stalk; stem. A common word with it is 阴茎 (yīnjīng), meaning "penis".
How do you pronounce 茎?
茎 is pronounced jīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 茎?
The radical of 茎 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 茎 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 茎?
The traditional form of 茎 is 莖. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 茎 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 茎 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 茎 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 茎 used in everyday speech for flower stems?
In casual speech people often say 杆儿 (gǎnr) or 梗 (gěng) for a thin stem, as in 花梗 (huāgěng). 茎 sounds more textbook or scientific, though it is still understood by everyone.
Is 阴茎 a rude word?
No, 阴茎 (yīnjīng) is the neutral medical term, like 'penis' in English. It is fine in medical or educational contexts but is not something you would say casually.