析 (xī) is a Chinese character meaning “to split apart”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 斤 (catty (unit of weight)), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to split; to analyse”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 斤
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·木部（析，破木也。一曰折也。从木从斤）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：8 画 = 木 4 画 + 斤 4 画
Memory aid
An axe (斤) set against a tree (木): the wood is split open so you can see inside it — that is 析, to break something down and analyse it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 分析fēn xīto analyse; analysis析 = xīHSK 5
- 解析jiě xīto parse; to explain in detail析 = xī
- 剖析pōu xīto analyze; to dissect (a problem)析 = xī
Go deeper
All readings
to split; to analyse
to split apart; to divide; to analyse something by taking it apart
把东西劈开、分开；引申为把事物分解开来研究。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 分析fēn xīto analyse; analysis析 = xīHSK 5
- 解析jiě xīto parse; to explain in detail析 = xī
- 剖析pōu xīto analyze; to dissect (a problem)析 = xī
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 析 mean?
析 (xī) means to split apart; to divide; to analyse something by taking it apart.
How do you pronounce 析?
It is pronounced xī.
What parts is 析 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 斤 (catty (unit of weight)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·木部（析，破木也。一曰折也。从木从斤）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：8 画 = 木 4 画 + 斤 4 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 析 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 析?
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 析?
Common ones are 分析 and 解析. The reading of 析 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.