How to write 性 (xìng) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice

xìng sex, nature, character; suffix converting a verb to an adjective 8 strokes · Radical 忄 (heart) · HSK 4 required writing character

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced xìng.

sex
nature
character
suffix converting a verb to an adjective

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

Decomposition

性 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Left + Right. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

性 =

忄 left heart

生 right life

Radical

The radical of 性 is 忄 — meaning heart. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

How the character is built

性 is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic component 忄 (heart) carries the meaning, while the phonetic component 生 originally indicated the sound.

HSK 4 Words Containing 性

男性 nánxìng male; man (formal)

这款手表适合男性佩戴。

Zhè kuǎn shǒubiǎo shìhé nánxìng pèidài.

This watch is suitable for men to wear.

女性 nǚxìng female; woman (formal)

越来越多的女性成为企业家。

Yuèláiyuè duō de nǚxìng chéngwéi qǐyèjiā.

More and more women are becoming entrepreneurs.

性 xìng (suffix: -ness, -ity)

这个问题具有普遍性。

Zhège wèntí jùyǒu pǔbiàn xìng.

This issue is universal in nature.

性别 xìngbié gender; sex

表格上需要填写性别。

Biǎogé shàng xūyào tiánxiě xìngbié.

You need to fill in your gender on the form.

性格 xìnggé personality; character; nature

她的性格很开朗。

Tā de xìnggé hěn kāilǎng.

She has an outgoing personality.

FAQ

What does 性 mean in Chinese?

性 (xìng) means sex, nature, character; suffix converting a verb to an adjective. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.

How many strokes does 性 have?

性 is written in 8 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 性?

The radical of 性 is 忄 (heart).

What is the pinyin for 性?

性 is pronounced xìng.

What HSK 4 words use 性?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 性 appears in 5 words, including 男性 (nánxìng), 女性 (nǚxìng), 性 (xìng), 性别 (xìngbié). See the full list above.