协 (xié) is a Chinese character meaning “to cooperate”. It is written from 十 (ten) and 办 (to handle; to manage), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to cooperate; to work together”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
十 + 办
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–2 为 十，笔画 3–6 与 办 逐笔对应）
Memory aid
Ten (十) people all handling (办) the same job together — that is what it means to cooperate.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 协助xié zhùto assist; to help out协 = xié
- 协会xié huìassociation; society协 = xié
- 妥协tuǒ xiéto compromise; to come to terms协 = xié
Go deeper
All readings
to cooperate
to cooperate; to work together; joint; to assist
共同合作；协同办事，也表示辅助。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 协助xié zhùto assist; to help out协 = xié
- 协会xié huìassociation; society协 = xié
- 妥协tuǒ xiéto compromise; to come to terms协 = xié
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 协 mean?
协 (xié) means to cooperate; to work together; joint; to assist.
How do you pronounce 协?
It is pronounced xié.
What parts is 协 made of?
十 (ten) and 办 (to handle; to manage), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–2 为 十，笔画 3–6 与 办 逐笔对应）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 协 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 协?
十. 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 协?
Common ones are 协助 and 协会. The reading of 协 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.