龜 meaning and stroke order
Turtle, tortoise; cuckold
How to write 龜, stroke by stroke
18 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 龜
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- tortoise; turtle
- (coll.) cuckold
- variant of 皸|皲[jun1]
- used in 龜茲|龟兹[Qiu1 ci2]
How 龜 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A turtle on its side with its shell to the right.
How to remember 龜
Picture a turtle drawn on its side: the head pokes out on the left, the feet hang below, and the patterned shell sits on the right. 龜 (guī) is that whole turtle squeezed into one square.
In everyday speech the animal is usually called 乌龟 (wūguī), and sea turtles are 海龟 (hǎiguī). Be careful with 龟 in insults, because 乌龟 and 龟儿子 (guī'érzi) can be rude. Example: 这只乌龟爬得很慢。(Zhè zhī wūguī pá de hěn màn.) This turtle crawls very slowly.
Common mistake: Learners often call someone 乌龟 as a cute nickname without knowing it can mean cuckold, which is a real insult. Also, 龜 is the traditional form, so in mainland texts you will see 龟, and you should not mix the two in one piece of writing.
Common words with 龜
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 龜
How many strokes are in 龜?
龜 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 龜 mean?
龜 (guī) means turtle, tortoise; cuckold. A common word with it is 乌龟 (wūguī), meaning "tortoise; cuckold".
How do you pronounce 龜?
龜 is pronounced guī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the simplified form of 龜?
龜 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 龟, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 海龟 also mean someone who studied abroad?
海龟 (hǎiguī, sea turtle) sounds the same as 海归 (hǎiguī), meaning a person who returned from overseas. Internet users play on this pun, so context tells you which meaning is intended.
Does 龜 have pronunciations other than guī?
Yes, though they are rare. It is read qiū in the ancient place name 龜茲 (Qiūcí), and jūn as a variant of 皲, meaning chapped skin. In almost all modern words it is guī.