尺 (chǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “chi, a Chinese unit of length equal to one third of a metre”. It is written from 尸 (corpse) and ㇏ (falling-right stroke), one enclosing the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “chi (Chinese foot); ruler”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
尸 + ㇏
Enclosing structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺：笔画1–3＝尸，笔画4＝捺 ㇏）
Memory aid
A bent-over body (尸) stretches one long leg (㇏) out from under it to step off a distance — one measured stride is one chi.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 尺子chǐ ziruler (measuring tool)尺 = chǐ
- 尺寸chǐ cùndimensions; size尺 = chǐ
Go deeper
All readings
chi (Chinese foot)
chi, a Chinese unit of length equal to one third of a metre; also a ruler or measuring tool
长度单位，一尺等于三分之一米；也指量长度的工具。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 尺子chǐ ziruler (measuring tool)尺 = chǐ
- 尺寸chǐ cùndimensions; size尺 = chǐ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 尺 mean?
尺 (chǐ) means chi, a Chinese unit of length equal to one third of a metre; also a ruler or measuring tool.
How do you pronounce 尺?
It is pronounced chǐ.
What parts is 尺 made of?
尸 (corpse) and ㇏ (falling-right stroke), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺：笔画1–3＝尸，笔画4＝捺 ㇏）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 尺 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 尺?
尸. 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 尺?
Common ones are 尺子 and 尺寸. The reading of 尺 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.