遲 meaning and stroke order
Tardy, slow, late; to delay
How to write 遲, stroke by stroke
15 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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Meaning of 遲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- late
- delayed
- slow
How 遲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 犀 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 遲
遲 combines the walking radical 辶 with 犀 (xī, rhinoceros), which hints at the sound. Picture a heavy rhinoceros walking along a road: it moves slowly and arrives late.
遲 means late or slow and appears mostly in compound words like 遲到 (chídào, to arrive late) and 推遲 (tuīchí, to postpone). Example: 他今天又遲到了。(Tā jīntiān yòu chídào le.) He was late again today.
Common mistake: Learners often say 晚到 when they mean being late for a scheduled time. 遲到 is the normal word for that, while 晚 alone just means late in the day. Also keep the second-tone chí, not chī.
Common words with 遲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 遲
How many strokes are in 遲?
遲 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 遲 mean?
遲 (chí) means tardy, slow, late; to delay. A common word with it is 迟到 (chídào), meaning "to arrive late".
How do you pronounce 遲?
遲 is pronounced chí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 遲?
The radical of 遲 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 遲 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 遲?
遲 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 迟, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 遲 and 晚?
晚 (wǎn) refers to a late time, like evening or late at night, and can stand alone: 太晚了 (tài wǎn le, it is too late). 遲 focuses on being behind schedule or slow, and usually appears in compounds such as 遲到 or 推遲.
How do you use 遲早 in a sentence?
遲早 (chízǎo) means sooner or later and goes before the verb. For example, 他遲早會知道 (tā chízǎo huì zhīdào) means he will find out sooner or later.