質 meaning and stroke order
Essence, nature; material, substance
How to write 質, stroke by stroke
15 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 質
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- character
- nature
- quality
- plain
- to pawn
- pledge
How 質 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Shell.
貝 gives the meaning and 斦 hints at the sound.
Radical: 貝 (sea shell), shared by 62 characters on this site.
How to remember 質
質 is two axes 斦 (yín, the sound part) sitting on a shell 貝 (bèi), an old symbol of money and value. Picture testing a valuable shell with axes to see what it is really made of: its true substance and quality.
質 is the traditional form, and in mainland simplified writing it appears as 质. It is rarely used alone and shows up in words about quality, nature and matter, such as 质量 (zhìliàng), 性质 (xìngzhì) and 物质 (wùzhì). Example: 這家店的東西質量很好。(Zhè jiā diàn de dōngxi zhìliàng hěn hǎo.) The things in this shop are of good quality.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 質 with 贊 (zàn, to praise), since both have a pair of shapes sitting on 貝. Check the top: 質 has two 斤 axes, while 贊 has two 先. Also keep the fourth tone zhì. Do not say zhí or zhǐ.
Common words with 質
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 質量 | zhìliàng | (physics) mass; quality (i.e. degree of excellence) | HSK 4 |
| 品質 | pǐnzhì | character; intrinsic quality (of a person) | HSK 4 |
| 性質 | xìngzhì | nature; characteristic | HSK 4 |
| 物質 | wùzhì | matter; substance | HSK 5 |
| 本質 | běnzhì | essence; nature | HSK 6 |
| 優質 | yōuzhì | excellent quality | HSK 6 |
| 素質 | sùzhì | inner quality; basic essence | HSK 6 |
| 人質 | rénzhì | hostage | HSK 7-9 |
| 質疑 | zhìyí | to call into question; to challenge (the truth or validity of) | HSK 7-9 |
| 特質 | tèzhì | characteristic; special quality | HSK 7-9 |
| 蛋白質 | dànbáizhì | protein | HSK 7-9 |
| 氣質 | qìzhì | personality traits; temperament; disposition; aura; air; feel; vibe | HSK 7-9 |
| 質問 | zhìwèn | to question; to ask questions | HSK 7-9 |
| 實質 | shízhì | substance; essence | HSK 7-9 |
Characters that contain 質
Learning 質 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 質
How many strokes are in 質?
質 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 質 mean?
質 (zhì) means essence, nature; material, substance. A common word with it is 质量 (zhìliàng), meaning "(physics) mass; quality (i.e. degree of excellence)".
How do you pronounce 質?
質 is pronounced zhì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 質?
The radical of 質 is 貝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 質 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 質?
質 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 质, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 人质 (rénzhì) mean hostage?
It comes from the old sense of 質 as a pledge or something given as security. A hostage is literally a person held as a pledge.
What is the difference between 质量 and 品质?
质量 usually means the quality of products or work, and in physics it means mass. 品质 often describes a person's moral character, though it can also describe the fine quality of goods.