賽 meaning and stroke order
To compete, to contend; contest, race
How to write 賽, stroke by stroke
17 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 賽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to compete
- competition
- match
- to surpass
- better than
- superior to
How 賽 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
貝 gives the meaning and 宀 hints at the sound.
Radical: 貝 (sea shell), shared by 62 characters on this site.
How to remember 賽
Picture a roof 宀 on top and money 貝 (shell) at the bottom: people gather under one roof to compete for a cash prize. The shell 貝 points to the reward that makes a contest 賽 (sài) worth winning.
賽 is the traditional form of 赛 and mostly appears in compound words about contests, such as 比賽 (bǐsài, match) and 決賽 (juésài, finals). On its own it can mean "to rival" or "to be better than," especially in lively or poetic speech. Example: 明天有足球比賽。(Míngtiān yǒu zúqiú bǐsài.) There is a football match tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 賽 (sài) with 塞 (sāi, to stuff; sài, strategic pass), which has the same top but 土 (earth) at the bottom instead of 貝. If it is about competing or prizes, look for the money 貝 at the bottom.
Common words with 賽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 比賽 | bǐsài | competition (sports etc); match | HSK 3 |
| 決賽 | juésài | finals (of a competition) | HSK 3 |
| 競賽 | jìngsài | to compete; to race; contest; competition; match; race | HSK 5 |
| 大獎賽 | dàjiǎngsài | grand prix | HSK 5 |
| 大賽 | dàsài | grand contest | HSK 6 |
| 參賽 | cānsài | to compete; to take part in a competition | HSK 6 |
| 聯賽 | liánsài | (sports) league; league tournament | HSK 6 |
| 賽場 | sàichǎng | racetrack; field (for athletics competition) | HSK 6 |
| 半決賽 | bànjuésài | semifinals | HSK 6 |
| 賽車 | sàichē | auto race; cycle race | HSK 7-9 |
| 賽跑 | sàipǎo | race (running); to race (running) | HSK 7-9 |
| 預賽 | yùsài | preliminary competition; to hold preliminary heats | HSK 7-9 |
| 賽馬 | sàimǎ | horse racing; racehorse | |
| 球賽 | qiúsài | (ball sports) game; match |
Questions about 賽
How many strokes are in 賽?
賽 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 賽 mean?
賽 (sài) means to compete, to contend; contest, race. A common word with it is 比赛 (bǐsài), meaning "competition (sports etc); match".
How do you pronounce 賽?
賽 is pronounced sài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 賽?
The radical of 賽 is 貝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 賽 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 賽?
賽 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 赛, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do you use 賽 to mean "better than"?
Put it between two things, as in A 賽 B, meaning A rivals or beats B. For example, 她唱得賽過歌星 (tā chàng de sài guò gēxīng) means she sings better than a pop star. This use sounds colloquial or literary.
What is the difference between 比賽 and 競賽?
比賽 (bǐsài) is the everyday word for any match or game, especially sports. 競賽 (jìngsài) sounds more formal and is common for academic or organized contests, like a math competition.