息 (xī) is a Chinese character meaning “breath”. It is written from 自 (self; nose) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “breath; to rest”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
自 + 心
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 息，喘也。从心从自，自亦声
Memory aid
Picture 自 on top as a nose and 心 below as the heart: each breath drawn in through the nose sinks down to the heart. Breath — and a pause to rest.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 休息xiū xito rest; to take a break息 = xīHSK 2
- 信息xìn xīinformation; message息 = xī
- 讯息xùn xīmessage; information息 = xī
- 栖息qī xīto perch; to inhabit息 = xī
- 窒息zhì xīto suffocate; to stifle息 = xī
Go deeper
All readings
breath; news; to rest
breath; news, information; to rest, to cease; interest (on money)
呼吸时出入的气；消息；停止、歇息；利息。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 休息xiū xito rest; to take a break息 = xīHSK 2
- 信息xìn xīinformation; message息 = xī
- 讯息xùn xīmessage; information息 = xī
- 栖息qī xīto perch; to inhabit息 = xī
- 窒息zhì xīto suffocate; to stifle息 = xī
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 息 mean?
息 (xī) means breath; news, information; to rest, to cease; interest (on money).
How do you pronounce 息?
It is pronounced xī.
What parts is 息 made of?
自 (self; nose) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 息，喘也。从心从自，自亦声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 息 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 息?
心. 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 息?
Common ones are 休息 and 信息. The reading of 息 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.