写 (xiě) is a Chinese character meaning “to write”. It is written from 冖 (cover) and 与 (and; with), one above the other, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “to write”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
冖 + 与
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: Unicode U+5199 and hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 five-stroke modern glyph inspection
Memory aid
A flat cover (冖) laid over 与: sit down under the roof, put pen to paper and 写 — write.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 写字xiě zìto write characters写 = xiěHSK 1
- 大写dà xiěcapital letter; uppercase; the formal form of a Chinese numeral写 = xiě
- 抄写chāo xiěto copy out by hand; to transcribe写 = xiě
Go deeper
All readings
to write
to write; to write down; to compose; to describe in writing
用笔在纸上做出字或画；也指写作、描写。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 写字xiě zìto write characters写 = xiěHSK 1
- 大写dà xiěcapital letter; uppercase; the formal form of a Chinese numeral写 = xiě
- 抄写chāo xiěto copy out by hand; to transcribe写 = xiě
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 写 mean?
写 (xiě) means to write; to write down; to compose; to describe in writing.
How do you pronounce 写?
It is pronounced xiě.
What parts is 写 made of?
冖 (cover) and 与 (and; with), one above the other. The recorded source is: Unicode U+5199 and hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 five-stroke modern glyph inspection. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 写 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 写?
冖. 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 写?
Common ones are 写字 and 大写. The reading of 写 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.