醒 meaning and stroke order
To wake up; to be awake; to become aware
How to write 醒, 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 醒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to wake up
- to be awake
- to become aware
- to sober up
- to come to
How 醒 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wine.
酉 gives the meaning and 星 hints at the sound.
Radical: 酉 (wine), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 醒
醒 (xǐng) is pictophonetic: the left part 酉 is a wine jar and gives the meaning, while 星 (xīng, star) on the right gives the sound. Picture someone sleeping off too much wine 酉 until the stars 星 fade and they finally sober up and wake.
醒 means to wake up or to become clear-headed, both from sleep and from drinking or confusion. It often pairs with a result word, as in 醒来 (xǐnglai) or 叫醒 (jiàoxǐng). Example: 我早上六点就醒了。(Wǒ zǎoshang liù diǎn jiù xǐng le.) I woke up at six this morning.
Common mistake: Learners often say xīng with a first tone because of the phonetic part 星 (xīng), but 醒 is third tone, xǐng. Also do not confuse 醒 (to wake) with 起 (qǐ, to get up): 我醒了 means your eyes are open, 我起床了 means you got out of bed.
Common words with 醒
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 提醒 | tíxǐng | to remind; to call attention to | HSK 4 |
| 清醒 | qīngxǐng | clear-headed; sober | HSK 4 |
| 醒来 | xǐnglai | to waken | HSK 7-9 |
| 觉醒 | juéxǐng | to awaken; to come to realize | HSK 7-9 |
| 苏醒 | sūxǐng | to come to; to awaken | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊醒 | jīngxǐng | to rouse; to be woken by sth | HSK 7-9 |
| 醒目 | xǐngmù | eye-grabbing (headline); striking (illustration) | HSK 7-9 |
| 醒悟 | xǐngwù | to come to oneself; to come to realize | HSK 7-9 |
| 吵醒 | chǎoxǐng | to wake sb up with a noise | |
| 叫醒 | jiàoxǐng | to awaken; to wake sb up; to rouse | |
| 唤醒 | huànxǐng | to wake sb; to rouse | |
| 睡醒 | shuìxǐng | to wake up | |
| 弄醒 | nòngxǐng | to wake sb up | |
| 昏迷不醒 | hūnmíbùxǐng | to remain unconscious |
醒 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 醒
How many strokes are in 醒?
醒 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 醒 mean?
醒 (xǐng) means to wake up; to be awake; to become aware. A common word with it is 提醒 (tíxǐng), meaning "to remind; to call attention to".
How do you pronounce 醒?
醒 is pronounced xǐng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 醒?
The radical of 醒 is 酉, which carries the idea of "wine". Dictionaries list 醒 under this radical.
Is 醒 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 醒 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 醒 and 睡醒?
醒 alone means to be awake or to wake up from any state, including drunkenness or fainting. 睡醒 (shuìxǐng) specifically means to wake up after sleeping. In everyday talk about the morning, both are common.
How do you use 提醒 to remind someone?
提醒 (tíxǐng) takes the person as its object, often followed by what to do. Example: 请提醒我明天带护照。(Qǐng tíxǐng wǒ míngtiān dài hùzhào.) Please remind me to bring my passport tomorrow.