兹 (zī) is a Chinese character meaning “this”. It is written from 丷 (two spreading strokes) and 一 (one) and 幺 (tiny; a small coil of silk) and 幺 (tiny; a small coil of silk), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “this; now”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
丷 + 一 + 幺 + 幺
Top–bottom structure
- 丷 two spreading strokes unknown
- 一 one · yī unknown
- 幺 tiny; a small coil of silk · yāo unknown
- 幺 tiny; a small coil of silk · yāo unknown
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 九笔笔顺逐笔核验）
Memory aid
Two little marks (丷) resting on one flat line (一), and under that line two tiny silk coils (幺 and 幺) side by side. You point at the line and the coils under it and say: this one, here, now.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 兹事体大zī shì tǐ dàthis is a matter of great importance兹 = zī
Go deeper
All readings
this; now
this; this one; now, at this time; hereby (mostly written and formal Chinese)
这个；此。也指现在、此时，多用于书面语。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 兹事体大zī shì tǐ dàthis is a matter of great importance兹 = zī
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 兹 mean?
兹 (zī) means this; this one; now, at this time; hereby (mostly written and formal Chinese).
How do you pronounce 兹?
It is pronounced zī.
What parts is 兹 made of?
丷 (two spreading strokes) and 一 (one) and 幺 (tiny; a small coil of silk) and 幺 (tiny; a small coil of silk), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 九笔笔顺逐笔核验）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 兹 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 兹?
八. 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 兹?
Common ones are 兹事体大. The reading of 兹 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.