异 (yì) is a Chinese character meaning “different”. It is written from 巳 (sixth earthly branch) and 廾 (two hands raised together), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “different”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
巳 + 廾
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿱巳廾；hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：第 1–3 笔构成上部「巳」，第 4–6 笔构成下部「廾」，3 + 3 = 6 笔）
Memory aid
Two hands raised together (廾) hold up a coiled, curling thing (巳) — you lift it into the light because it is not like the others: it is different, strange.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 奇异qí yìstrange; odd; exotic异 = yì
- 讶异yà yìto be astonished; amazed异 = yì
- 诡异guǐ yìeerie; bizarre; uncanny异 = yì
Go deeper
All readings
different
different; other; strange; unusual
不同的；别的；奇特的、不平常的。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 奇异qí yìstrange; odd; exotic异 = yì
- 讶异yà yìto be astonished; amazed异 = yì
- 诡异guǐ yìeerie; bizarre; uncanny异 = yì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 异 mean?
异 (yì) means different; other; strange; unusual.
How do you pronounce 异?
It is pronounced yì.
What parts is 异 made of?
巳 (sixth earthly branch) and 廾 (two hands raised together), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿱巳廾；hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：第 1–3 笔构成上部「巳」，第 4–6 笔构成下部「廾」，3 + 3 = 6 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 异 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 异?
廾. 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 异?
Common ones are 奇异 and 讶异. The reading of 异 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.