辞 meaning and stroke order
To resign; to dismiss; to decline
How to write 辞, stroke by stroke
13 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
- 13
Meaning of 辞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- old variant of 辭|辞[ci2]
- to resign
- to dismiss
- to decline
- (literary) to take leave
- (archaic poetic genre) ballad
How 辞 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Bitter 辛 words 舌.
Radical: 舌 (tongue), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 辞
辞 joins 舌 (shé, tongue) on the left with 辛 (xīn, bitter) on the right. Picture bitter words coming off your tongue as you tell your boss you are leaving.
辞 shows up mostly in compounds about quitting, dismissing, or saying goodbye, such as 辞职 (cízhí, to resign) and 告辞 (gàocí, to take one's leave). It also means words or speech in formal terms like 言辞 (yáncí) and 致辞 (zhìcí). Example: 他上个月辞职了。(Tā shàng ge yuè cízhí le.) He resigned last month.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 辞 and 词 (cí, word), which share the same sound. Use 词 for vocabulary words like 生词 (shēngcí), and 辞 for resigning or formal speech. Also check the right side is 辛, not 幸 (xìng), which has an extra horizontal stroke on top.
Common words with 辞
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 辞职 | cízhí | to resign | HSK 5 |
| 辞典 | cídiǎn | variant of 詞典|词典[ci2 dian3] | HSK 5 |
| 告辞 | gàocí | to say goodbye; to take one's leave | HSK 7-9 |
| 言辞 | yáncí | words; expression | HSK 7-9 |
| 辞退 | cítuì | to dismiss; to discharge | HSK 7-9 |
| 辞呈 | cíchéng | (written) resignation | HSK 7-9 |
| 辞去 | cíqù | to resign; to quit | HSK 7-9 |
| 致辞 | zhìcí | to express in words or writing; to make a speech (esp. short introduction, vote of thanks, | HSK 7-9 |
| 不辞而别 | bùcí'érbié | to leave without saying good-bye | HSK 7-9 |
| 推辞 | tuīcí | to decline (an appointment, invitation etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 辞掉 | cídiào | to quit (one's job); to dismiss (an employee) | |
| 说辞 | shuōcí | excuse; pretext | |
| 措辞 | cuòcí | wording; way of expressing something |
辞 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 辞
How many strokes are in 辞?
辞 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 辞 mean?
辞 (cí) means to resign; to dismiss; to decline. A common word with it is 辞职 (cízhí), meaning "to resign".
How do you pronounce 辞?
辞 is pronounced cí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 辞?
The radical of 辞 is 舌, which carries the idea of "tongue". Dictionaries list 辞 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 辞?
The traditional form of 辞 is 辤 and 辭. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 辞 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 辞 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 辞 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 辞职 and 辞退?
辞职 (cízhí) means you choose to quit your own job. 辞退 (cítuì) means an employer dismisses someone. The first comes from the worker, the second from the boss.
Is 辞典 the same as 词典?
Yes, both mean dictionary and are pronounced cídiǎn. 词典 is the more common everyday spelling, while 辞典 appears in some book titles and more formal or traditional usage.