藝 meaning and stroke order
Art; talent, ability; craft
How to write 藝, stroke by stroke
19 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
Meaning of 藝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- skill
- art
How 藝 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grass.
艹 gives the meaning and 埶 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 藝
藝 is built from 艹 (grass) on top, the sound part 埶 in the middle, and 云 at the bottom. Picture a gardener skillfully tending plants under the clouds 云. Growing things well takes skill, which is the idea of 藝 (yì), art and craft.
藝 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Mainland China writes it as 艺. It rarely stands alone and usually appears in words like 藝術 (yìshù, art), 手藝 (shǒuyì, craftsmanship) and 藝人 (yìrén, entertainer). Example: 他的手藝很好。(Tā de shǒuyì hěn hǎo.) His craftsmanship is very good.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the 云 at the bottom and write only 艹 over 埶, which turns it into a different character, 蓺 (also yì, now rare). Some also confuse 藝 with 勢 (shì, power), which shares the 埶 part but has 力 underneath.
Common words with 藝
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 藝術 | yìshù | art | HSK 3 |
| 工藝 | gōngyì | arts and crafts; industrial arts | HSK 5 |
| 文藝 | wényì | literature and art | HSK 5 |
| 工藝品 | gōngyìpǐn | handicraft article; handiwork | HSK 5 |
| 藝人 | yìrén | entertainer; performing artist; artisan; craftsman | HSK 6 |
| 文藝界 | wényìjiè | HSK 6 | |
| 手藝 | shǒuyì | craftmanship; workmanship | HSK 7-9 |
| 技藝 | jìyì | skill; art | HSK 7-9 |
| 演藝圈 | yǎnyìquān | show business | HSK 7-9 |
| 學藝 | xuéyì | to learn a skill or art | HSK 7-9 |
| 藝術家 | yìshùjiā | artist | |
| 藝術品 | yìshùpǐn | art piece; work of art | |
| 廚藝 | chúyì | cooking skills; culinary talent | |
| 綜藝 | zōngyì | variety (entertainment format) |
Questions about 藝
How many strokes are in 藝?
藝 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 藝 mean?
藝 (yì) means art; talent, ability; craft. A common word with it is 艺术 (yìshù), meaning "art".
How do you pronounce 藝?
藝 is pronounced yì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 藝?
The radical of 藝 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 藝 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 藝?
藝 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 艺, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 藝術 and 技術?
藝術 (yìshù) means art, such as painting, music or dance. 技術 (jìshù) means technology or technical skill. Both use 術, but 藝 points to creative skill and 技 points to practical technique.
Does 藝人 mean artist?
In modern use, 藝人 (yìrén) usually means an entertainer or celebrity, like a singer or actor. For a painter or fine artist, people more often say 藝術家 (yìshùjiā).