Meaning of 枝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- branch
- classifier for sticks, rods, pencils etc
How to use 枝
As a noun, 枝 means a branch and usually appears in words like 树枝 (shùzhī). As a classifier, it counts long thin objects such as pens, flowers on a stem, or cigarettes. Example: 我买了一枝玫瑰。(Wǒ mǎi le yì zhī méiguī.) I bought a rose.
枝 is made of 木 (mù, tree) and 支 (zhī, to branch off or support). A part that branches off a tree is a branch, and 支 also gives the sound zhī.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 枝 with 支, which has the same sound and is also a classifier for pens and similar items. In mainland usage 支 is more common for pens (一支笔), while 枝 is preferred for flowers with stems and anything tied to the idea of branches.
枝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
枝 zhī · branch · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 枝.
| 树枝 | shùzhī | branch; twig |
| 枪枝 | qiāngzhī | (Tw) variant of 槍支|枪支[qiang1 zhi1] |
Questions about 枝
What does 枝 mean?
枝 (zhī) means "branch; classifier for sticks, rods, pencils etc" and is used as a noun and measure word.
How do you write 枝?
枝 is made of 1 character: 枝 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 枝 an HSK word?
Yes. 枝 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 枝 the same as 只 when counting things?
No. 只 (zhī) is a classifier for animals and one of a pair, like 一只猫. 枝 counts long thin things like branches, flowers, or pens.
What is the difference between 树枝 and 树干?
树枝 (shùzhī) is a branch or twig that grows out from the tree. 树干 (shùgàn) is the main trunk of the tree.