點 meaning and stroke order
Dot, point, speck
How to write 點, stroke by stroke
17 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
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- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
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- 17
Meaning of 點
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to touch briefly; to tap
- to mark with a dot; to check off (on a list)
- to order (food etc); to select
- to mention; to bring up (a topic or person)
- to hint at; to imply
- to administer (eye medicine etc) in drops
How 點 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Black.
黑 gives the meaning and 占 hints at the sound.
Radical: 黑 (black), shared by 17 characters on this site.
How to remember 點
點 is built from 黑 (hēi, black) plus 占 (zhàn), which gives the sound. Picture a small black ink dot on paper: a black mark is a 點.
點 (simplified 点) is extremely common. It means a dot or point, a little bit as in 一點兒 (yīdiǎnr), o'clock in telling time, and the verb to order food. Example: 我們點菜吧。(Wǒmen diǎn cài ba.) Let's order.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 有點兒 (yǒudiǎnr) and 一點兒 (yīdiǎnr). 有點兒 goes before an adjective, usually for something negative: 有點兒累 (a bit tired). 一點兒 goes after an adjective in comparisons or requests: 快一點兒 (a bit faster).
Common words with 點
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 地點 | dìdiǎn | place; site | HSK 1 |
| 一點兒 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] | HSK 1 |
| 一點點 | yī diǎndiǎn | a little bit | HSK 2 |
| 重點 | zhòngdiǎn | to recount (e.g. results of election); to re-evaluate | HSK 2 |
| 觀點 | guāndiǎn | point of view; viewpoint | HSK 2 |
| 有點兒 | yǒudiǎnr | slightly; a little | HSK 2 |
| 快點兒 | kuài diǎnr | erhua variant of 快點|快点[kuai4 dian3] | HSK 2 |
| 點頭 | diǎntóu | to nod | HSK 2 |
| 特點 | tèdiǎn | characteristic; trait; feature | HSK 2 |
| 有一點兒 | yǒuyīdiǎnr | a bit; a little | HSK 2 |
| 缺點 | quēdiǎn | weak point; fault | HSK 3 |
| 優點 | yōudiǎn | merit; benefit | HSK 3 |
| 晚點 | wǎndiǎn | (of trains etc) late; delayed | HSK 4 |
| 點名 | diǎnmíng | roll call; to mention sb by name | HSK 4 |
Questions about 點
How many strokes are in 點?
點 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 點 mean?
點 (diǎn) means dot, point, speck. A common word with it is 地点 (dìdiǎn), meaning "place; site".
How do you pronounce 點?
點 is pronounced diǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 點?
The radical of 點 is 黑, which carries the idea of "black". Dictionaries list 點 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 點?
點 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 点, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do you use 點 to tell time?
Put a number before 點 to mean o'clock, as in 三點 (sān diǎn), three o'clock. You can add 鐘 (zhōng) for a fuller form: 三點鐘.
Why is 點 written 点 in simplified Chinese?
The simplified form 点 keeps 占 on top and replaces 黑 with four dots below. Both forms are read diǎn and have the same meanings.