否 (fǒu) is a Chinese character meaning “no”. It is written from 不 (not) and 口 (mouth), one above the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “no; not”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
不 + 口
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分：hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验（第 1–4 笔＝不，第 5–7 笔＝口，4+3=7 笔）；部首取自 Unicode Unihan
Memory aid
A mouth (口) with "not" (不) sitting right on top of it — the answer coming out of that mouth is no.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 是否shì fǒuwhether or not否 = fǒuHSK 4
- 否定fǒu dìngto deny; to negate; negative否 = fǒuHSK 5
- 否则fǒu zéotherwise; or else否 = fǒu
Go deeper
All readings
no; not
no; not; to negate; used in formal writing to mean "or not"
表示否定；用于书面语，相当于「不」「不是这样」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 是否shì fǒuwhether or not否 = fǒuHSK 4
- 否定fǒu dìngto deny; to negate; negative否 = fǒuHSK 5
- 否则fǒu zéotherwise; or else否 = fǒu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 否 mean?
否 (fǒu) means no; not; to negate; used in formal writing to mean "or not".
How do you pronounce 否?
It is pronounced fǒu.
What parts is 否 made of?
不 (not) and 口 (mouth), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分：hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验（第 1–4 笔＝不，第 5–7 笔＝口，4+3=7 笔）；部首取自 Unicode Unihan. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 否 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 否?
口. 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 否?
Common ones are 是否 and 否定. The reading of 否 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.