锐 meaning and stroke order
Sharp, pointed; keen, acute
How to write 锐, stroke by stroke
12 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 锐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- acute
How 锐 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 兑 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 锐
锐 is a pictophonetic character: the metal radical 钅 tells you it is about metal, and 兑 (duì) gives the sound. Picture a metal blade so sharp it cuts cleanly, and you have 锐 (ruì), sharp.
锐 rarely appears alone in modern speech. It mostly shows up in two-character words, both for physical sharpness and for sharp minds or sharp criticism. Example: 她的观察很敏锐。(Tā de guānchá hěn mǐnruì.) Her observations are very keen.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 锐 with 说 (shuō) or 税 (shuì), since all three use 兑 on the right. Remember that 锐 has the metal radical 钅, 说 has the speech radical 讠, and 税 has the grain radical 禾.
Common words with 锐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
锐 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 锐
How many strokes are in 锐?
锐 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 锐 mean?
锐 (ruì) means sharp, pointed; keen, acute. A common word with it is 敏锐 (mǐnruì), meaning "keen; sharp; acute".
How do you pronounce 锐?
锐 is pronounced ruì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 锐?
The radical of 锐 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 锐 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 锐?
The traditional form of 锐 is 銳. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 锐 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 锐 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 锐 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 尖锐 and 锐利?
锐利 (ruìlì) usually describes something physically sharp, like a knife or eyes. 尖锐 (jiānruì) can mean pointed, but it is often used for intense conflicts, piercing sounds, or harsh criticism, as in 尖锐的问题 (a pointed question).
Why is 兑 pronounced duì but 锐 pronounced ruì?
Phonetic components only hint at the sound, and pronunciations have shifted over time. The rhyme -uì is shared, but the initial changed, so you need to learn ruì separately.