杂 (zá) is a Chinese character meaning “mixed”. It is written from 九 (nine) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “mixed; miscellaneous”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
九 + 木
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（九 2 画 + 木 4 画 = 杂 6 画，上下结构）
Memory aid
Nine (九) things stacked on one piece of wood (木): a pile of assorted odds and ends. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 复杂fù zácomplicated; complex杂 = zá
- 杂志zá zhìmagazine; periodical杂 = zá
- 芜杂wú zájumbled; mixed and disorderly (of writing or material)杂 = zá
- 掺杂chān záto mix in; to mingle; to be mixed with杂 = zá
- 搀杂chān záto mix in; to mingle杂 = zá
- 杂耍zá shuǎvariety show; acrobatics杂 = zá
Go deeper
All readings
mixed; miscellaneous
mixed; miscellaneous; assorted; to mix together
多种多样混在一起的；不纯的。也指掺杂、混合。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 复杂fù zácomplicated; complex杂 = zá
- 杂志zá zhìmagazine; periodical杂 = zá
- 芜杂wú zájumbled; mixed and disorderly (of writing or material)杂 = zá
- 掺杂chān záto mix in; to mingle; to be mixed with杂 = zá
- 搀杂chān záto mix in; to mingle杂 = zá
- 杂耍zá shuǎvariety show; acrobatics杂 = zá
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 杂 mean?
杂 (zá) means mixed; miscellaneous; assorted; to mix together.
How do you pronounce 杂?
It is pronounced zá.
What parts is 杂 made of?
九 (nine) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（九 2 画 + 木 4 画 = 杂 6 画，上下结构）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 杂 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 杂?
木. 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 杂?
Common ones are 复杂 and 杂志. The reading of 杂 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.