衰 meaning and stroke order
Weak, feeble; to decline, to falter
How to write 衰, 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.
- 1
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- 10
Meaning of 衰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to decay; to decline; to wane
- variant of 縗|缞[cui1]
How 衰 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person in a robe 衣 with an injury 一 to his head 口.
Radical: 衣 (cloth), shared by 33 characters on this site.
How to remember 衰
Picture a robe 衣 split open with 口 and a line 一 tucked inside it. The etymology hint reads this as a person in a robe with an injury to the head, someone weak and in decline.
衰 (shuāi) almost never stands alone in formal Chinese. It appears in compound words about decline, aging, or failing strength, such as 衰老 (shuāilǎo), 衰退 (shuāituì), and 衰弱 (shuāiruò). Example: 经济开始衰退。(Jīngjì kāishǐ shuāituì.) The economy began to decline.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 衰 with 哀 (āi, sorrow) and 衷 (zhōng, inner feelings). All three put something inside 衣. 衰 has 口 with an extra horizontal line through the middle, 哀 has only 口, and 衷 has 中. Also avoid mixing up the sound with 摔 (shuāi, to fall down).
Common words with 衰
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 衰老 | shuāilǎo | to age; to deteriorate with age | HSK 7-9 |
| 衰退 | shuāituì | to decline; to fall | HSK 7-9 |
| 衰竭 | shuāijié | (of an organ or bodily function) failure; to fail; (of resources etc) exhaustion; depletio | HSK 7-9 |
| 衰弱 | shuāiruò | weak; feeble | HSK 7-9 |
| 衰减 | shuāijiǎn | to weaken; to attenuate | HSK 7-9 |
| 衰人 | shuāirén | loser; jerk | |
| 衰落 | shuāiluò | to fall; to drop | |
| 衰败 | shuāibài | to decline; to wane |
衰 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 衰
How many strokes are in 衰?
衰 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 衰 mean?
衰 (shuāi) means weak, feeble; to decline, to falter. A common word with it is 衰老 (shuāilǎo), meaning "to age; to deteriorate with age".
How do you pronounce 衰?
衰 is pronounced shuāi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 衰?
The radical of 衰 is 衣, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 衰 under this radical.
Is 衰 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 衰 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 衰 mean in casual speech, like 好衰 or 衰人?
In southern Chinese slang, especially Cantonese-influenced speech, 衰 can mean unlucky or lousy, and 衰人 (shuāirén) means a loser or jerk. This is informal and not part of standard written usage.
Is 衰 ever read as cuī?
Yes, but rarely. As cuī it is an old variant of 缞, a type of mourning garment. In modern Chinese you can almost always read it as shuāi.