邁 meaning and stroke order
Old; to pass by, to take a stride
How to write 邁, stroke by stroke
16 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 邁
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to step; to stride
- (bound form) old; elderly
- (loanword) mile (esp. in expressions of vehicle speed)
How 邁 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To take ten thousand 萬 steps 辶.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 邁
邁 combines 辶 (walking) with 萬 (wàn, ten thousand). Picture someone taking ten thousand steps, a big stride forward, and after all that walking they have grown old.
邁 (simplified 迈) usually appears in compounds about stepping forward, like 迈出 (màichū) and 迈向 (màixiàng), or about old age, as in 年迈 (niánmài). It is also a loanword for "mile" when talking about speed. Example: 他迈出了第一步。(Tā màichū le dì yī bù.) He took the first step.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read it as wàn because of the 萬 component, but 邁 is pronounced mài with a falling fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 卖 (mài, to sell), which has the same sound but a different meaning.
Common words with 邁
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 邁
How many strokes are in 邁?
邁 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 邁 mean?
邁 (mài) means old; to pass by, to take a stride. A common word with it is 迈进 (màijìn), meaning "to step in; to stride forward".
How do you pronounce 邁?
邁 is pronounced mài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 邁?
The radical of 邁 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 邁 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 邁?
邁 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 迈, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do you say miles per hour with 迈?
In casual speech people say a number plus 迈 for vehicle speed, for example 开到一百迈 (kāi dào yì bǎi mài), meaning driving at 100. In mainland usage it often loosely refers to kilometers per hour even though it originally meant miles.
Can 迈 be used alone as a verb?
Yes. It means to lift your foot and step, as in 迈过门槛 (màiguò ménkǎn), to step over the threshold. In the sense of old, it only appears in compounds like 年迈 (niánmài) and is not used alone.