柔 (róu) is a Chinese character meaning “soft”. It is written from 矛 (spear; lance) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “soft; gentle”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
矛 + 木
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分：hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（矛 5 画 + 木 4 画 = 9 画）；说文解字：柔，木曲直也。从木矛聲
Memory aid
The long wooden (木) shaft of a spear (矛) has to bend without breaking — wood that flexes is soft and supple.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 温柔wēn róugentle; tender柔 = róu
- 柔软róu ruǎnsoft; supple柔 = róu
Go deeper
All readings
soft; gentle
soft; supple; gentle; mild; to soften
软，不坚硬；温和，不刚强；使变软。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 温柔wēn róugentle; tender柔 = róu
- 柔软róu ruǎnsoft; supple柔 = róu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 柔 mean?
柔 (róu) means soft; supple; gentle; mild; to soften.
How do you pronounce 柔?
It is pronounced róu.
What parts is 柔 made of?
矛 (spear; lance) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分：hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（矛 5 画 + 木 4 画 = 9 画）；说文解字：柔，木曲直也。从木矛聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 柔 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 柔?
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 柔?
Common ones are 温柔 and 柔软. The reading of 柔 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.