执 (zhí) is a Chinese character meaning “to hold in the hand”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 丸 (ball; pellet), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to hold; to carry out”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 丸
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，依据 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（3 笔扌 + 3 笔丸 = 6 笔）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) closed around a small ball (丸) and not letting go — 执 is to hold something and see it through.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 执行zhí xíngto carry out; to execute (a plan, an order)执 = zhí
- 固执gù zhístubborn; obstinate执 = zhí
- 执拗zhí niùstubborn; obstinate执 = zhí
Go deeper
All readings
to hold; to carry out
to hold in the hand; to grasp; to carry out; to persist in
拿着、握住；也指按规定去做，或坚持不放。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 执行zhí xíngto carry out; to execute (a plan, an order)执 = zhí
- 固执gù zhístubborn; obstinate执 = zhí
- 执拗zhí niùstubborn; obstinate执 = zhí
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 执 mean?
执 (zhí) means to hold in the hand; to grasp; to carry out; to persist in.
How do you pronounce 执?
It is pronounced zhí.
What parts is 执 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 丸 (ball; pellet), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，依据 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（3 笔扌 + 3 笔丸 = 6 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 执 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 执?
扌. 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 执?
Common ones are 执行 and 固执. The reading of 执 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.