軸 meaning and stroke order
Axle, pivot, shaft; axis
How to write 軸, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 軸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- axis
- axle
- spool (for thread)
- roller (for scrolls)
- classifier for calligraphy rolls etc
- used in 壓軸|压轴[ya1 zhou4]
- Taiwan pr. [zhou2]
How 軸 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wheel.
車 gives the meaning and 由 hints at the sound.
Radical: 車 (cart), shared by 49 characters on this site.
How to remember 軸
軸 combines 車 (vehicle, cart) with 由 (yóu), which gives the sound. Picture the rod running through a cart's wheels: the part of the 車 everything turns around is the 軸 (zhóu).
軸 means an axle or axis, and also the roller of a hanging scroll. It appears in words like 車軸 (chēzhóu, axle), 時間軸 (shíjiānzhóu, timeline) and 卷軸 (juànzhóu, scroll). Example: 這輛車的車軸壞了。(Zhè liàng chē de chēzhóu huài le.) The axle of this car is broken.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 軸 with 抽 (chōu, to pull) or 油 (yóu, oil), since all three contain 由. Also note that 壓軸 (yāzhòu, grand finale) is read with fourth tone in mainland standard Mandarin, not zhóu.
Common words with 軸
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 車軸 | chēzhóu | axle | HSK 7-9 |
| 時間軸 | shíjiānzhóu | time axis; timeline | |
| 卷軸 | juànzhóu | scroll (book or painting) | |
| 壓軸 | yāzhòu | final and most important item (on a program, schedule etc); grand finale; (attributive) fi |
Questions about 軸
How many strokes are in 軸?
軸 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 軸 mean?
軸 (zhóu) means axle, pivot, shaft; axis. A common word with it is 车轴 (chēzhóu), meaning "axle".
How do you pronounce 軸?
軸 is pronounced zhóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 軸?
The radical of 軸 is 車, which carries the idea of "cart". Dictionaries list 軸 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 軸?
軸 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 轴, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can 軸 be used as a measure word?
Yes. 軸 is a classifier for rolled items like scroll paintings or calligraphy, as in 一軸山水畫 (yì zhóu shānshuǐhuà, one landscape scroll). This use is somewhat literary.
How is 軸 used in math and science?
It means axis, as in X軸 (X zhóu, x-axis) and 地軸 (dìzhóu, the Earth's axis). 對稱軸 (duìchènzhóu) means axis of symmetry.