魅 meaning and stroke order
Magic, enchantment, charm; a forest demon
How to write 魅, stroke by stroke
14 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 魅
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- demon
- magic
- to charm
How 魅 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A forest 未 demon 鬼; 未 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 鬼 (ghost), shared by 17 characters on this site.
How to remember 魅
Picture a ghost 鬼 (guǐ) wrapped around a young tree 未 (wèi) in the forest. That tree spirit is a forest demon, and its power is the magic charm 魅 (mèi) that draws you in.
Today 魅 almost always appears in words about attraction, especially 魅力 (mèilì), meaning charm or appeal. The old sense of demon survives mainly in set phrases and fantasy words like 魅影 (mèiyǐng), phantom. Example: 她很有魅力。(Tā hěn yǒu mèilì.) She is very charming.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 末 (mò) instead of 未 (wèi). In 未 the upper horizontal stroke is shorter than the lower one. Also note the tone is fourth tone mèi, not third tone like 美 (měi, beautiful).
Common words with 魅
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 魅力 | mèilì | charm; fascination | HSK 7-9 |
| 魅影 | mèiyǐng | phantom (esp. of Western fantasy) |
魅 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 魅
How many strokes are in 魅?
魅 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 魅 mean?
魅 (mèi) means magic, enchantment, charm; a forest demon. A common word with it is 魅力 (mèilì), meaning "charm; fascination".
How do you pronounce 魅?
魅 is pronounced mèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 魅?
The radical of 魅 is 鬼, which carries the idea of "ghost". Dictionaries list 魅 under this radical.
Is 魅 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 魅 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 魅力 and 吸引力?
魅力 (mèilì) is personal charm or charisma, usually describing people, places or art. 吸引力 (xīyǐnlì) is a broader word for any pulling force or attraction, including physical forces like gravity.
Does 魅 appear in the word 魑魅魍魉?
Yes. 魑魅魍魉 (chīmèi wǎngliǎng) is an idiom listing kinds of demons and goblins. It is used to mean all sorts of evil people or bad influences.