How to write 指 (zhǐ) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice
Pronunciation & meaning
Pronounced .
- finger
- toe
- to point
- to indicate
Stroke Order & Practice
Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.
Decomposition
指 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Left + Right. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.
Radical
The radical of 指 is 扌 — meaning hand. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.
Other HSK 4 characters that share this radical: 抱技扔掉拉挂推排按播擦操.
How the character is built
指 is an ideographic compound — its meaning is suggested by the combination of its parts rather than by sound. To point 旨 by hand 扌; 旨 also provides the pronunciation.
HSK 4 Words Containing 指
Seen in the Real Exams / 真题例句
指 appears in 14 questions across the 19 mock & official HSK 4 exams on this site. Real exam sentences using it:
FAQ
What does 指 mean in Chinese?
指 (zhǐ) means finger, toe; to point, to indicate. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.
How many strokes does 指 have?
指 is written in 9 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 指?
The radical of 指 is 扌 (hand). Other HSK 4 characters with the same radical include 抱, 技, 扔, 掉, 拉.
What is the pinyin for 指?
指 is pronounced zhǐ.
What HSK 4 words use 指?
In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 指 appears in 2 words, including 指 (zhǐ), 指出 (zhǐchū). See the full list above.