輕 meaning and stroke order
Light, gentle; simple, easy
How to write 輕, 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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- 14
Meaning of 輕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- light
- easy
- gentle
- soft
- reckless
- unimportant
How 輕 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cart.
車 gives the meaning and 巠 hints at the sound.
Radical: 車 (cart), shared by 49 characters on this site.
How to remember 輕
輕 combines 車 (cart), the meaning part, with 巠 (jīng), the sound part. Picture a light cart that rolls easily, and you have "light" and "easy".
輕 means physically light, but it also describes things that are gentle, slight, or not serious. It appears in many everyday words such as 年轻 (niánqīng, young) and 轻松 (qīngsōng, relaxed, easy). Example: 这个箱子很轻。(Zhège xiāngzi hěn qīng.) This box is very light.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 輕 with 經 (jīng, to pass through), which shares the same right side 巠 but has the silk radical 糸 instead of 車. Also keep the first tone in qīng and do not say it like 请 (qǐng, please).
Common words with 輕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 年輕 | niánqīng | young | HSK 2 |
| 輕鬆 | qīngsōng | light; gentle | HSK 4 |
| 輕易 | qīngyì | easy; simple; rashly; offhandedly | HSK 4 |
| 減輕 | jiǎnqīng | to lighten; to ease | HSK 5 |
| 輕微 | qīngwēi | slight; light | HSK 7-9 |
| 輕而易舉 | qīng'éryìjǔ | easy; with no difficulty | HSK 7-9 |
| 無足輕重 | wúzú-qīngzhòng | insignificant | HSK 7-9 |
| 輕蔑 | qīngmiè | scornful; disdainful; contemptuous; pejorative; disdain; contempt | HSK 7-9 |
| 輕型 | qīngxíng | light (machinery, aircraft etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 年輕人 | niánqīngrén | young people; youngster | |
| 輕輕 | qīngqīng | lightly; softly | |
| 輕舉妄動 | qīngjǔwàngdòng | to act blindly without thinking (idiom) | |
| 輕視 | qīngshì | contempt; contemptuous | |
| 輕率 | qīngshuài | cavalier; offhand |
Questions about 輕
How many strokes are in 輕?
輕 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 輕 mean?
輕 (qīng) means light, gentle; simple, easy. A common word with it is 年轻 (niánqīng), meaning "young".
How do you pronounce 輕?
輕 is pronounced qīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 輕?
The radical of 輕 is 車, which carries the idea of "cart". Dictionaries list 輕 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 輕?
輕 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 轻, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the opposite of 輕?
The opposite is 重 (zhòng), meaning heavy or important. The two often appear together, as in 无足轻重 (wúzú-qīngzhòng), which means insignificant.
Can 輕 be used before a verb to mean doing something gently?
Yes. Phrases like 轻轻地说 (qīngqīng de shuō, to say softly) or 轻放 (qīngfàng, to put down gently) use 輕 to describe a soft or careful action. In 轻易 (qīngyì) it can also mean doing something too easily or rashly.