还 meaning and stroke order
Still; still in progress; still more
How to write 还, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 还
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- still
- still in progress
- still more
- yet
- even more
- in addition
- to pay back
- to return
How 还 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Not 不 moving 辶.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 还
The character is 不 (bù, not) riding on the walking radical 辶. Think of someone who is not moving on yet: they are still here, or they walk back to return something.
As hái it is one of the most common adverbs, meaning still, also, or even more, and 还是 (háishi) also means or in questions. As huán it is a verb meaning to give back or repay, as in 偿还 (chánghuán) and 还款 (huán kuǎn). Example: 我还没吃饭。(Wǒ hái méi chī fàn.) I still haven't eaten.
Common mistake: Learners often read 还 as hái everywhere and say hái shū for 还书, which should be huán shū (to return a book). If 还 is a verb about giving something back, read it huán.
Common words with 还
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 还有 | hái yǒu | there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition | HSK 1 |
| 还是 | háishi | still (as before); had better | HSK 1 |
| 偿还 | chánghuán | to repay; to reimburse | HSK 7-9 |
| 归还 | guīhuán | to return sth; to revert | HSK 7-9 |
| 讨价还价 | tǎojià-huánjià | to haggle over price; to bargain | HSK 7-9 |
| 还原 | huányuán | to restore to the original state; to reconstruct (an event) | HSK 7-9 |
| 返还 | fǎnhuán | restitution; return of something to its original owner | HSK 7-9 |
| 还款 | huán kuǎn | repayment; to pay back money | HSK 7-9 |
| 还好 | háihǎo | not bad; pretty good; fortunately; luckily | |
| 还给 | huángěi | to return sth to sb | |
| 还清 | huánqīng | to pay back in full; to redeem a debt | |
| 生还者 | shēnghuánzhě | survivor | |
| 还击 | huánjī | to hit back; to return fire | |
| 还债 | huánzhài | to settle a debt |
还 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 还
How many strokes are in 还?
还 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 还 mean?
还 (hái) means still; still in progress; still more. A common word with it is 还有 (hái yǒu), meaning "there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition".
How do you pronounce 还?
还 is pronounced hái, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 还?
The radical of 还 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 还 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 还?
The traditional form of 还 is 還. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 还 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 还 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 还 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 还是 and 或者 for 'or'?
Use 还是 (háishi) in questions offering a choice, like 你喝茶还是咖啡？ Use 或者 (huòzhě) in statements, like 茶或者咖啡都可以.
Does 还 mean the same as 也 (yě)?
Both can mean also, but 也 links to something another person did or said, while 还 adds one more item, as in 我买了书，还买了笔。 (I bought a book and also a pen.) 还 can also mean still, which 也 cannot.