裁 meaning and stroke order
To cut out (as a dress); to cut; to trim
How to write 裁, stroke by stroke
12 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 裁
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cut out (as a dress)
- to cut
- to trim
- to reduce
- to diminish
- to cut back (e.g. on staff)
How 裁 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To cut 戈 cloth 衣.
Radical: 衣 (cloth), shared by 33 characters on this site.
How to remember 裁
A blade 戈 (gē) sits on top of cloth 衣 (yī), cutting it to shape. Think of a tailor slicing fabric, then extend it to "cutting" a decision, like a judge.
裁 (cái) appears mostly in compound words rather than alone. It covers cutting cloth, cutting back on things, and making rulings, as in 裁判 (cáipàn, referee) and 总裁 (zǒngcái, company head). Example: 公司要裁员。(Gōngsī yào cáiyuán.) The company is going to lay off staff.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 裁 with 栽 (zāi, to plant) and 载 (zài, to carry), which share the same 十 and 戈 frame. Only 裁 has 衣 (cloth) inside, so it is the one about cutting.
Common words with 裁
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 裁判 | cáipàn | (law) to judge; to adjudicate; verdict; judgement; (sports) to referee | HSK 5 |
| 总裁 | zǒngcái | chairman; director-general (of a company etc) | HSK 5 |
| 裁决 | cáijué | ruling; adjudication | HSK 7-9 |
| 制裁 | zhìcái | to punish; punishment | HSK 7-9 |
| 裁定 | cáidìng | ruling | HSK 7-9 |
| 仲裁 | zhòngcái | arbitration | HSK 7-9 |
| 裁缝 | cáiféng | to make an item of clothing; to tailor | |
| 独裁者 | dúcáizhě | dictator; autocrat | |
| 副总裁 | fùzǒngcái | vice-chairman (of an organization); vice president (of a company) | |
| 裁员 | cáiyuán | to cut staff; to lay off employees | |
| 独裁 | dúcái | dictatorship | |
| 裁判官 | cáipànguān | judge |
裁 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 裁
How many strokes are in 裁?
裁 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 裁 mean?
裁 (cái) means to cut out (as a dress); to cut; to trim. A common word with it is 裁判 (cáipàn), meaning "(law) to judge; to adjudicate; verdict; judgement; (sports) to referee".
How do you pronounce 裁?
裁 is pronounced cái, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 裁?
The radical of 裁 is 衣, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 裁 under this radical.
Is 裁 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 裁 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 裁员 (cáiyuán) mean?
裁员 means to lay off staff or cut jobs. It literally combines "cut" and "personnel," and you will see it often in business news.
Why does 总裁 (zǒngcái) mean a company president?
Here 裁 carries its sense of judging or deciding, so 总裁 is the person who makes the overall decisions. It is commonly used as a title for a CEO or chairman.