低 (dī) is a Chinese character meaning “low (in height, level, degree or sound)”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 氐 (base, foundation (also a phonetic element read dī)), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “low”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
亻 + 氐
Left–right structure
- 亻 person (the form 人 takes on the left) · rén meaning
- 氐 base; foundation (used mainly as a sound component) · dī sound
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（亻2 + 氐5 = 7）；声符读音实测一致（氐 dī / 低 dī）
Memory aid
A person (亻) standing next to 氐, the part that sounds like the whole character — dī. Both parts are really in this character: the person tells you it is about people, 氐 tells you how to say it, and the meaning is low.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 低头dī tóuto lower one's head低 = dī
- 低估dī gūto underestimate低 = dī
- 贬低biǎn dīto belittle; to disparage低 = dī
- 低贱dī jiànlowly; humble; of low status低 = dī
Go deeper
All readings
low
low (in height, level, degree or sound); to lower; to let droop
高度、程度或声音小于一般标准；也表示向下垂。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 低头dī tóuto lower one's head低 = dī
- 低估dī gūto underestimate低 = dī
- 贬低biǎn dīto belittle; to disparage低 = dī
- 低贱dī jiànlowly; humble; of low status低 = dī
Sound component
氐 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 低 mean?
低 (dī) means low (in height, level, degree or sound); to lower; to let droop.
How do you pronounce 低?
It is pronounced dī.
What parts is 低 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 氐 (base, foundation (also a phonetic element read dī)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（亻2 + 氐5 = 7）；声符读音实测一致（氐 dī / 低 dī）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 低 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 低?
人. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 低?
Common ones are 低头 and 低估. The reading of 低 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.