邪 meaning and stroke order
Demonic; iniquitous; nefarious
How to write 邪, stroke by stroke
6 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
Meaning of 邪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- demonic
- iniquitous
- nefarious
- evil
- unhealthy influences that cause disease (Chinese medicine)
- (coll.) strange
How 邪 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 邪
邪 is built from 牙 (yá, tooth) on the left and 阝 on the right. Picture a place where fangs, 牙, are bared at you, and you know something evil lurks there.
邪 appears mostly in compound words about evil, wickedness, or bad influences, such as 邪恶 (xié'è) and 邪念 (xiéniàn). In casual speech, 邪门 (xiémén) or 邪 alone can mean something is weirdly strange. Example: 这件事真邪门。(Zhè jiàn shì zhēn xiémén.) This is really bizarre.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the left side as 互 or forget that 牙 here keeps its hooked vertical stroke, so check the shape of 牙 carefully. Also do not confuse 邪 (xié) with 斜 (xié, slanted). They share a sound but 斜 means tilted, not evil.
Common words with 邪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
邪 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 邪
How many strokes are in 邪?
邪 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 邪 mean?
邪 (xié) means demonic; iniquitous; nefarious. A common word with it is 邪恶 (xié'è), meaning "sinister; vicious".
How do you pronounce 邪?
邪 is pronounced xié, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 邪?
The radical of 邪 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 邪 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 邪?
The traditional form of 邪 is 衺. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 邪 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 邪 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 邪 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 改邪归正 mean and when is it used?
改邪归正 (gǎixié-guīzhèng) literally means to give up the wrong and return to the right. It is used when someone stops bad behavior and reforms, often about former criminals or troublemakers.
What does 邪 mean in Chinese medicine?
In traditional Chinese medicine, 邪 refers to harmful outside influences that cause illness, such as wind or cold. It does not mean moral evil in this context, just an unhealthy factor attacking the body.