役 (yì) is a Chinese character meaning “compulsory service or labour”. It is written from 彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 殳 (a hand holding a long-handled tool or weapon), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “compulsory service”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
彳 + 殳
Left–right structure
- 彳 a short step; the “double-person” left side · chì unknown
- 殳 a hand holding a long-handled tool or weapon · shū unknown
Structure from: modern glyph shape only (IDS ⿰彳殳; 3+4=7 strokes verified against hanzi-writer-data stroke order)
Memory aid
A short step (彳) on the left, a hand gripping a long-handled tool (殳) on the right: marching where you are sent and working with what you are handed — that is service you did not choose.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 兵役bīng yìmilitary service; conscription役 = yì
- 奴役nú yìto enslave; to keep in bondage役 = yì
Go deeper
All readings
service; forced labour
compulsory service or labour; to press into service; (in compounds) a military campaign
需要服的劳务或兵事；使唤、驱使他人；也指一场战事。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 兵役bīng yìmilitary service; conscription役 = yì
- 奴役nú yìto enslave; to keep in bondage役 = yì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 役 mean?
役 (yì) means compulsory service or labour; to press into service; (in compounds) a military campaign.
How do you pronounce 役?
It is pronounced yì.
What parts is 役 made of?
彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 殳 (a hand holding a long-handled tool or weapon), side by side. The recorded source is: modern glyph shape only (IDS ⿰彳殳; 3+4=7 strokes verified against hanzi-writer-data stroke order). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 役 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 役?
彳. 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 役?
Common ones are 兵役 and 奴役. The reading of 役 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.