梗 (gěng) is a Chinese character meaning “stalk or stem of a plant”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 更 (to change; even more; again), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “stalk; stem”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 更
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：梗……从木更聲。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（木4 + 更7 = 11 笔）
Memory aid
木 on the left is a plant. 更 on the right gives the sound — gēng, close to gěng. Picture the stiff stalk that holds up a plant: that's 梗.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 梗概gěng gàioutline; synopsis; gist梗 = gěng
- 桔梗jié gěngballoon flower; platycodon (medicinal herb)梗 = gěng
Go deeper
All readings
stalk; stem
stalk or stem of a plant; to block, obstruct; outline (as in 梗概)
植物的枝或茎；也指阻塞、妨碍。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 梗概gěng gàioutline; synopsis; gist梗 = gěng
- 桔梗jié gěngballoon flower; platycodon (medicinal herb)梗 = gěng
Origin
A phono-semantic compound: 木 "tree" on the left gives the meaning, and 更 on the right supplies the sound (说文解字: 从木更聲).
Source: 说文解字：梗……从木更聲。
Sound component
更 family tone diff
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 梗 mean?
梗 (gěng) means stalk or stem of a plant; to block, obstruct; outline (as in 梗概).
How do you pronounce 梗?
It is pronounced gěng.
What parts is 梗 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 更 (to change; even more; again), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：梗……从木更聲。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（木4 + 更7 = 11 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 梗 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 梗?
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 梗?
Common ones are 梗概 and 桔梗. The reading of 梗 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.