吱 (zhī) is a Chinese character meaning “(onomatopoeia) squeak”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 支 (branch; to support), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “squeak”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 支
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 口 3 画 + 支 4 画；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 口部
Memory aid
A mouth (口) next to 支 (zhī) — the mouth tells you it is a sound, and 支 tells you how it sounds: zhī.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 吱声zhī shēngto utter a sound; to speak up吱 = zhī
- 吱吱zhī zhīsqueak squeak; creaking sound吱 = zhī
Go deeper
All readings
squeak
(onomatopoeia) squeak; creak; a thin, high sound; used in 吱声 to mean "to utter a sound"
象声词，形容尖细短促的声音；「吱声」指开口出声。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 吱声zhī shēngto utter a sound; to speak up吱 = zhī
- 吱吱zhī zhīsqueak squeak; creaking sound吱 = zhī
Sound component
支 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 吱 mean?
吱 (zhī) means (onomatopoeia) squeak; creak; a thin, high sound; used in 吱声 to mean "to utter a sound".
How do you pronounce 吱?
It is pronounced zhī.
What parts is 吱 made of?
口 (mouth) and 支 (branch; to support), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 口 3 画 + 支 4 画；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 口部. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 吱 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 吱?
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 吱?
Common ones are 吱声 and 吱吱. The reading of 吱 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.