荆 meaning and stroke order
Thorns, brambles; surname
How to write 荆, stroke by stroke
9 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
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- 5
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- 9
Meaning of 荆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- chaste tree or its berry (Vitex agnus-castus)
- (literary) cane or switch made from a chaste tree, used for punishment
How 荆 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A plant 艹 armed with thorns 刂.
Radical: 刂 (knife), shared by 71 characters on this site.
How to remember 荆
Picture a plant 艹 on top, with the knife 刂 on the right standing for its sharp thorns. A plant armed with blades is a thorny bramble, 荆 (jīng).
荆 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in the word 荆棘 (jīngjí, brambles), which is often used figuratively for hardships, and in fixed phrases. Example: 前面的路布满荆棘。(Qiánmiàn de lù bùmǎn jīngjí.) The road ahead is full of thorns.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the middle part as 开 with extra strokes or swap it for 井 (jǐng), which also gives the sound jīng in other characters like 阱. In 荆 the part under 艹 is 开, and 刂 goes on the right.
Common words with 荆
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 荆棘 | jīngjí | thistles and thorns; brambles | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 荆
How many strokes are in 荆?
荆 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 荆 mean?
荆 (jīng) means thorns, brambles; surname. A common word with it is 荆棘 (jīngjí), meaning "thistles and thorns; brambles".
How do you pronounce 荆?
荆 is pronounced jīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 荆?
The radical of 荆 is 刂, which carries the idea of "knife". Dictionaries list 荆 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 荆?
The traditional form of 荆 is 荊. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 荆 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 荆 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 荆 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does the idiom 负荆请罪 mean?
负荆请罪 (fù jīng qǐng zuì) means to carry a thorny switch on your back and ask for punishment. It comes from the old use of a 荆 cane for beatings, and today it means to offer a sincere, humble apology.
Is 荆 used as a surname or place name?
Yes. 荆 is a surname, and 荆州 (Jīngzhōu) is a city in Hubei. 荆 was also an old name for the state of Chu.