词 meaning and stroke order
Word; statement; speech; lyrics; a form of lyric poetry, flourishing in the Song dynasty 宋朝[Song4 chao2] (CL:首[shou3])
How to write 词, stroke by stroke
7 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 词
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- word
- statement; speech; lyrics
- a form of lyric poetry, flourishing in the Song dynasty 宋朝[Song4 chao2] (CL:首[shou3])
- old variant of 詞|词[ci2]
How 词 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Words.
讠 gives the meaning and 司 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 词
词 is pictophonetic: the speech radical 讠 shows it is about words, and 司 (sī) gives the sound. Picture a manager 司 in charge of choosing the right words 讠 for every sentence.
词 usually means a single word or term, and it appears in many study words like 生词 (shēngcí, new word) and 词典 (cídiǎn, dictionary). It can also mean lyrics or lines, as in 歌词 (gēcí) and 台词 (táicí). Example: 这个词是什么意思？(Zhège cí shì shénme yìsi?) What does this word mean?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 词 (cí) with 字 (zì): 字 is a single written character, while 词 is a word that may have one or more characters, so 电脑 is one 词 but two 字. Also watch the tone, since 词 is second tone cí, not first tone like its phonetic part 司 (sī).
Common words with 词
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 词语 | cíyǔ | word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical | HSK 2 |
| 词典 | cídiǎn | dictionary | HSK 2 |
| 生词 | shēngcí | new word (in textbook); word that is unfamiliar or not yet studied | HSK 2 |
| 词汇 | cíhuì | vocabulary; list of words (e.g. for language teaching purposes) | HSK 4 |
| 歌词 | gēcí | song lyric; lyrics | HSK 6 |
| 证词 | zhèngcí | testimony | |
| 台词 | táicí | an actor's lines; dialogue; Taiwanese word | |
| 单词 | dāncí | word | |
| 供词 | gòngcí | confession; statement; Taiwan pr. [gong1ci2] | |
| 用词 | yòngcí | usage (of a term); wording | |
| 名词 | míngcí | (linguistics) noun; term (name for a concept) | |
| 陈词滥调 | chéncílàndiào | cliché; commonplace | |
| 悼词 | dàocí | memorial speech; eulogy | |
| 陈词 | chéncí | (formal) to state one's views (esp. in court); stale rhetoric; clichéd remarks |
词 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 词
How many strokes are in 词?
词 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 词 mean?
词 (cí) means word; statement; speech; lyrics; a form of lyric poetry, flourishing in the Song dynasty 宋朝[Song4 chao2] (CL:首[shou3]). A common word with it is 词语 (cíyǔ), meaning "word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical".
How do you pronounce 词?
词 is pronounced cí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 词?
The radical of 词 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 词 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 词?
The traditional form of 词 is 䛐 and 詞. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 词 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 词 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 词 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.
What is the difference between 词 and 词语?
词 is the short, everyday form and works with measure words, as in 一个词 (yí gè cí). 词语 is a slightly more formal general term for words and set expressions, often seen in textbooks and exercises.
What does 词 mean in Chinese literature?
It also names a form of lyric poetry that flourished in the Song dynasty 宋朝 (Sòngcháo). These poems were written to fit set tunes, and the measure word is 首 (shǒu), as in 一首词 (yì shǒu cí).