挨 (āi) is a Chinese character meaning “to be next to”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 矣 (a classical sentence-final particle), side by side, and takes 10 strokes. It has a second reading, ái, which turns up in 挨打 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to be next to”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 矣
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 挨，擊背也。从手矣聲
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaching over to 矣 on the right: you stretch out your hand until you are right up next to someone.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 挨近āi jìnto get close to; to approach挨 = āi
Go deeper
All readings
to be next to
to be next to; to get close to; (one after another) in turn
靠近，紧挨着；也表示按顺序一个接一个。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 挨近āi jìnto get close to; to approach挨 = āi
to suffer
to suffer; to endure; to be subjected to (a beating, hunger, criticism)
遭受，忍受（打、饿、批评等）；也指勉强度过时间。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 挨打ái dǎto take a beating; to get hit挨 = ái
- 挨揍ái zòuto get beaten up; to take a thrashing挨 = ái
- 挨饿ái èto go hungry; to suffer hunger挨 = ái
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 挨 mean?
挨 (āi) means to be next to; to get close to; (one after another) in turn.
How do you pronounce 挨?
Its main reading is āi. It also has a second reading, ái, which only shows up in certain words such as 挨打 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 挨 sometimes pronounced ái?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 挨打 it is read ái.
What parts is 挨 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 矣 (a classical sentence-final particle), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 挨，擊背也。从手矣聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 挨 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 挨?
手. 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 挨?
Common ones are 挨近. The reading of 挨 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.