计 meaning and stroke order
To calculate; to compute; to count
How to write 计, stroke by stroke
4 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
Meaning of 计
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to calculate
- to compute
- to count
- to regard as important
- to plan
- ruse
How 计 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 十 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 计
计 combines 讠 (speech) with 十 (shí, ten). Picture someone saying numbers out loud and counting up to ten, which is how you calculate or plan.
计 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words about counting and planning, like 计划 (jìhuà, plan), 计算 (jìsuàn, calculate), and 估计 (gūjì, estimate). Example: 我估计他不来了。(Wǒ gūjì tā bù lái le.) I reckon he isn't coming.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 计 with 什 (shén, as in 什么), which has the person radical 亻 instead of the speech radical 讠. Also remember that 会计 (accountant) is read kuàijì, not huìjì.
Common words with 计
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 计划 | jìhuà | plan; project | HSK 2 |
| 计算机 | jìsuànjī | computer; (Tw) calculator | HSK 2 |
| 设计 | shèjì | to design; to plan; design; plan | HSK 3 |
| 计算 | jìsuàn | to calculate; to compute; to consider; to think over | HSK 3 |
| 预计 | yùjì | to forecast; to predict | HSK 3 |
| 会计 | kuàijì | accountant; accountancy | HSK 4 |
| 统计 | tǒngjì | statistics; to count | HSK 4 |
| 估计 | gūjì | to estimate; to assess; to calculate; (coll.) to reckon; to think (that ...) | HSK 5 |
| 共计 | gòngjì | to sum up to; to total | HSK 5 |
| 设计师 | shèjìshī | designer; architect | HSK 6 |
| 计时 | jìshí | to measure time; to time | HSK 7-9 |
| 倒计时 | dàojìshí | to count down; countdown | HSK 7-9 |
| 计较 | jìjiào | to bother about; to haggle | HSK 7-9 |
| 算计 | suànjì | to reckon; to calculate | HSK 7-9 |
计 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 计
How many strokes are in 计?
计 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 计 mean?
计 (jì) means to calculate; to compute; to count. A common word with it is 计划 (jìhuà), meaning "plan; project".
How do you pronounce 计?
计 is pronounced jì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 计?
The radical of 计 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 计 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 计?
The traditional form of 计 is 計. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 计 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 计 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 计 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why is 十 in 计 if it is pronounced jì and not shí?
In 计, 十 is listed as the phonetic component, but sound changes over time mean it no longer matches the modern reading. It still works as a memory hook, since ten fits the idea of counting.
Can 计 mean a trick or scheme?
Yes. In set phrases 计 can mean a ruse or stratagem, as in 三十六计 (sānshíliù jì, the Thirty-Six Stratagems) or 中计 (zhòngjì, to fall for a trick).