谢 meaning and stroke order
To thank; to refuse politely
How to write 谢, 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 谢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to thank
- (bound form) to apologize
- (bound form) to decline; to refuse
- (bound form) (of flowers, leaves etc) to wither
How 谢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 射 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 谢
谢 combines the speech radical 讠 with 射 (shè, to shoot), which gives the sound. Picture yourself shooting words of thanks at someone with your mouth.
谢 appears most often doubled as 谢谢 (xièxie), the everyday word for thanks, and in more formal 感谢 (gǎnxiè). It also means to decline politely, as in 谢绝, and to wither, as in 花谢了 (huā xiè le). Example: 谢谢你的帮助。(Xièxie nǐ de bāngzhù.) Thank you for your help.
Common mistake: Learners often write the middle part 身 incorrectly or forget the 寸 on the right, since 射 is easy to squeeze. In 谢谢 the second 谢 is said in the neutral tone (xièxie), not two full fourth tones.
Common words with 谢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 谢谢 | xièxie | to thank; thanks | HSK 1 |
| 感谢 | gǎnxiè | to thank; to be grateful | HSK 2 |
| 新陈代谢 | xīnchén-dàixiè | metabolism (biology); the new replaces the old (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 多谢 | duōxiè | many thanks; thanks a lot | |
| 非常感谢 | fēichánggǎnxiè | extremely grateful; very thankful | |
| 谢天谢地 | xiètiānxièdì | (idiom) thank goodness | |
| 不用谢 | bùyòngxiè | You're welcome; Don't mention it | |
| 道谢 | dàoxiè | to express thanks | |
| 谢绝 | xièjué | to refuse politely | |
| 谢恩 | xiè'ēn | to thank sb for favor (esp. emperor or superior official) | |
| 谢意 | xièyì | gratitude; thanks | |
| 不谢 | bùxiè | you're welcome; don't mention it; not at all | |
| 答谢 | dáxiè | to express one's thanks | |
| 致谢 | zhìxiè | expression of gratitude; to give thanks |
谢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 谢
How many strokes are in 谢?
谢 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 谢 mean?
谢 (xiè) means to thank; to refuse politely. A common word with it is 谢谢 (xièxie), meaning "to thank; thanks".
How do you pronounce 谢?
谢 is pronounced xiè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 谢?
The radical of 谢 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 谢 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 谢?
The traditional form of 谢 is 謝. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 谢 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 谢 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 谢 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I reply when someone says 谢谢?
Common replies are 不用谢 (bú yòng xiè), 不客气 (bú kèqi), or 没事 (méi shì). All mean something like you're welcome or no problem.
Why does 谢 also mean flowers withering?
谢 has a bound sense of fading or falling away, used for flowers and leaves, as in 花谢了 (the flowers have withered). The same idea of the old giving way appears in 新陈代谢 (metabolism).