加 (jiā) is a Chinese character meaning “to add”. It is written from 力 (strength; power) and 口 (mouth), side by side, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “to add”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
力 + 口
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·力部：加，語相譄加也。从力从口（对照 hanzi-writer-data 5 笔核验：力 2 笔 + 口 3 笔）
Memory aid
Strength (力) on the left, a mouth (口) on the right: you push, then you speak up — every time, something more gets piled on. That is what 加 does: it adds.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 加入jiā rùto join加 = jiā
- 参加cān jiāto take part in; to join加 = jiā
- 加仑jiā lúngallon加 = jiā
- 加快jiā kuàito speed up; to accelerate加 = jiā
- 更加gèng jiāeven more; all the more加 = jiāHSK 4
- 加倍jiā bèito double; to redouble加 = jiā
- 加油jiā yóuto refuel; to add oil; (cheering) come on! keep going!加 = jiā
- 添加tiān jiāto add; to append加 = jiā
Go deeper
All readings
to add
to add; to increase; to put in; plus
把两个或几个东西合在一起；增多。也用于加法运算。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 加入jiā rùto join加 = jiā
- 参加cān jiāto take part in; to join加 = jiā
- 加仑jiā lúngallon加 = jiā
- 加快jiā kuàito speed up; to accelerate加 = jiā
- 更加gèng jiāeven more; all the more加 = jiāHSK 4
- 加倍jiā bèito double; to redouble加 = jiā
- 加油jiā yóuto refuel; to add oil; (cheering) come on! keep going!加 = jiā
- 添加tiān jiāto add; to append加 = jiā
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 加 mean?
加 (jiā) means to add; to increase; to put in; plus.
How do you pronounce 加?
It is pronounced jiā.
What parts is 加 made of?
力 (strength; power) and 口 (mouth), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·力部：加，語相譄加也。从力从口（对照 hanzi-writer-data 5 笔核验：力 2 笔 + 口 3 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 加 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 加?
力. 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 加?
Common ones are 加入 and 参加. The reading of 加 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.