赵 meaning and stroke order
Ancient state; surname
How to write 赵, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 5
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- 9
Meaning of 赵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to surpass (old)
How 赵 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 走 (to walk), shared by 22 characters on this site.
How to remember 赵
赵 combines 走 (zǒu, to walk) with 乂, which looks like a cross or an X. Picture someone from the old state of Zhao walking past an X mark on the road, going beyond it, which fits the old sense "to surpass."
Today 赵 is used almost only as a surname and in historical names, such as the Warring States kingdom of Zhao. It is one of the most common Chinese surnames and comes first in the classic list of surnames, 百家姓. Example: 我的老师姓赵。(Wǒ de lǎoshī xìng Zhào.) My teacher's surname is Zhao.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the inner part as 又 (yòu) instead of 乂, or confuse 赵 with 起 (qǐ), which shares the 走 radical. Also keep the fourth tone, zhào, and do not say zhāo as in 招.
Questions about 赵
How many strokes are in 赵?
赵 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 赵 mean?
赵 (zhào) means ancient state; surname.
How do you pronounce 赵?
赵 is pronounced zhào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 赵?
The radical of 赵 is 走, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 赵 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 赵?
The traditional form of 赵 is 趙. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 赵 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 赵 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 赵 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why is 赵 the first surname in the Hundred Family Surnames?
The text 百家姓 opens with 赵钱孙李 (Zhào Qián Sūn Lǐ). It was compiled during the Song dynasty, whose ruling family had the surname Zhao, so it was placed first.
How do I tell someone my surname is Zhao in Chinese?
You can say 我姓赵 (wǒ xìng Zhào). To make it clear in speech, people often add 走肖赵 (zǒu xiào Zhào), which describes the traditional form 趙 as 走 plus 肖.