赛 meaning and stroke order
To compete; competition; match
How to write 赛, stroke by stroke
14 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 赛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to compete
- competition
- match
- to surpass
- better than
- superior to
How 赛 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
贝 gives the meaning and 宀 hints at the sound.
Radical: 贝 (sea shell), shared by 63 characters on this site.
How to remember 赛
Picture a roof 宀 on top and money 贝 (bèi, shell money) at the bottom: people gather under one roof to compete for a cash prize. The etymology data marks 贝 as the meaning part, with the hint "money".
赛 rarely stands alone in everyday speech. It usually appears in words like 比赛 (bǐsài, match), 决赛 (juésài, finals) and 参赛 (cānsài, take part in a competition). Example: 明天有足球比赛。(Míngtiān yǒu zúqiú bǐsài.) There is a football match tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 赛 with 塞 (sāi, to stuff), which has the same top but 土 at the bottom instead of 贝. If it is about a contest or prize, look for the money part 贝.
Common words with 赛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 比赛 | bǐsài | competition (sports etc); match | HSK 3 |
| 决赛 | juésài | finals (of a competition) | HSK 3 |
| 竞赛 | jìngsài | to compete; to race; contest; competition; match; race | HSK 5 |
| 大奖赛 | dàjiǎngsài | grand prix | HSK 5 |
| 大赛 | dàsài | grand contest | HSK 6 |
| 参赛 | cānsài | to compete; to take part in a competition | HSK 6 |
| 联赛 | liánsài | (sports) league; league tournament | HSK 6 |
| 赛场 | sàichǎng | racetrack; field (for athletics competition) | HSK 6 |
| 半决赛 | bànjuésài | semifinals | HSK 6 |
| 赛车 | sàichē | auto race; cycle race | HSK 7-9 |
| 赛跑 | sàipǎo | race (running); to race (running) | HSK 7-9 |
| 预赛 | yùsài | preliminary competition; to hold preliminary heats | HSK 7-9 |
| 赛马 | sàimǎ | horse racing; racehorse | |
| 球赛 | qiúsài | (ball sports) game; match |
赛 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 赛
How many strokes are in 赛?
赛 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 赛 mean?
赛 (sài) means to compete; competition; match. A common word with it is 比赛 (bǐsài), meaning "competition (sports etc); match".
How do you pronounce 赛?
赛 is pronounced sài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 赛?
The radical of 赛 is 贝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 赛 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 赛?
The traditional form of 赛 is 賽. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 赛 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 赛 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 赛 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What does 赛 mean in phrases like 赛过?
赛 can also mean to surpass or be better than. 赛过 (sàiguò) means to outdo, as in a saying that something beats something else. This use is more literary or colloquial in set phrases.
What is the difference between 比赛 and 竞赛?
比赛 (bǐsài) is the everyday word for a match or game, especially in sports. 竞赛 (jìngsài) sounds more formal and is often used for academic or organized contests, such as a math competition.