助 (zhù) is a Chinese character meaning “to help”. It is written from 且 (moreover; for the time being) and 力 (strength; power), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to help”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
且 + 力
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 助，左也。从力且聲
Memory aid
且 (moreover) on the left, 力 (strength) on the right: add your strength on top of what someone is already doing — that is to help.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 帮助bāng zhùto help; to assist; help助 = zhù
- 协助xié zhùto assist; to help out助 = zhù
- 助手zhù shǒuassistant; helper助 = zhù
- 援助yuán zhùaid; to help; assistance助 = zhù
Go deeper
All readings
to help
to help; to assist; to aid
帮助；协助。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 帮助bāng zhùto help; to assist; help助 = zhù
- 协助xié zhùto assist; to help out助 = zhù
- 助手zhù shǒuassistant; helper助 = zhù
- 援助yuán zhùaid; to help; assistance助 = zhù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 助 mean?
助 (zhù) means to help; to assist; to aid.
How do you pronounce 助?
It is pronounced zhù.
What parts is 助 made of?
且 (moreover; for the time being) and 力 (strength; power), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 助，左也。从力且聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 助 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 助?
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 助?
Common ones are 帮助, 协助, 助手. The reading of 助 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.