径 (jìng) is a Chinese character meaning “a narrow path or footpath”. It is written from 彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 圣 (sage; holy), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “path; diameter”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
彳 + 圣
Left–right structure
Structure from: Unicode/IDS 现代字形拆分，已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（3+5=8）
Memory aid
Left is 彳, the "short step" side that marks walking. Right is 圣. Picture taking short steps (彳) toward a sage (圣) along a narrow footpath — that path is 径.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 直径zhí jìngdiameter径 = jìng
- 途径tú jìngway; channel; means of doing something径 = jìng
- 捷径jié jìngshortcut径 = jìng
Go deeper
All readings
path; diameter
a narrow path or footpath; by extension, a route or way of doing something; in geometry, the diameter of a circle
小路；引申为达到目的的途径。在几何里指圆的直径。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 直径zhí jìngdiameter径 = jìng
- 途径tú jìngway; channel; means of doing something径 = jìng
- 捷径jié jìngshortcut径 = jìng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 径 mean?
径 (jìng) means a narrow path or footpath; by extension, a route or way of doing something; in geometry, the diameter of a circle.
How do you pronounce 径?
It is pronounced jìng.
What parts is 径 made of?
彳 (a short step; the “double-person” left side) and 圣 (sage; holy), side by side. The recorded source is: Unicode/IDS 现代字形拆分，已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（3+5=8）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 径 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 径?
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 径?
Common ones are 直径 and 途径. The reading of 径 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.