辭 meaning and stroke order
Words, speech; to resign, to take leave
How to write 辭, stroke by stroke
19 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
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
Meaning of 辭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to resign
- to dismiss
- to decline
- (literary) to take leave
- (archaic poetic genre) ballad
- variant of 詞|词[ci2]
How 辭 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 辛 (bitter), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 辭
The left side of 辭 shows a hand 爫 on top and another hand 又 at the bottom, working at a tangled thread in the middle, and on the right sits 辛 (xīn, bitter). Picture someone untangling a knotty, bitter situation with careful words, or deciding to walk away from it, which links to both meanings: speech and resigning.
辭 is the traditional form. In mainland China it is written 辞, which is what appears in common words like 辞职 (cízhí, to resign), 告辞 (gàocí, to take one's leave) and 致辞 (zhìcí, to give a short speech). Example: 他上个月辞职了。(Tā shàng ge yuè cízhí le.) He resigned last month.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 辞 (cí) with 词 (cí, word) because they sound the same. Use 词 for ordinary words and vocabulary items, as in 生词 (shēngcí), and use 辞 for resigning or leaving, as in 辞职 (cízhí). Some words such as 词典 and 辞典 accept either character.
Common words with 辭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 辭職 | cízhí | to resign | HSK 5 |
| 辭典 | cídiǎn | variant of 詞典|词典[ci2 dian3] | HSK 5 |
| 告辭 | gàocí | to say goodbye; to take one's leave | HSK 7-9 |
| 言辭 | yáncí | words; expression | HSK 7-9 |
| 辭退 | cítuì | to dismiss; to discharge | HSK 7-9 |
| 辭呈 | cíchéng | (written) resignation | HSK 7-9 |
| 辭去 | cíqù | to resign; to quit | HSK 7-9 |
| 致辭 | zhìcí | to express in words or writing; to make a speech (esp. short introduction, vote of thanks, | HSK 7-9 |
| 不辭而別 | bùcí'érbié | to leave without saying good-bye | HSK 7-9 |
| 推辭 | tuīcí | to decline (an appointment, invitation etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 辭掉 | cídiào | to quit (one's job); to dismiss (an employee) | |
| 說辭 | shuōcí | excuse; pretext | |
| 措辭 | cuòcí | wording; way of expressing something |
Questions about 辭
How many strokes are in 辭?
辭 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 辭 mean?
辭 (cí) means words, speech; to resign, to take leave. A common word with it is 辞职 (cízhí), meaning "to resign".
How do you pronounce 辭?
辭 is pronounced cí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 辭?
The radical of 辭 is 辛, which carries the idea of "bitter". Dictionaries list 辭 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 辭?
辭 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 辞, used in mainland China and Singapore.
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, so the person loses the job without choosing to leave.
How do I politely say I am leaving with 辞?
Say 我先告辞了 (wǒ xiān gàocí le), which means I will take my leave now. It sounds polite and a little formal, and it suits leaving a host's home or a meeting.