梯 (tī) is a Chinese character meaning “ladder”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 弟 (younger brother), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “ladder; stairs”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 弟
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·木部：梯，木階也。从木弟聲（现代字形 ⿰木弟；笔画核验 木4 + 弟7 = 11）
Memory aid
A little brother (弟) climbs up a wooden (木) frame one rung at a time — that is 梯: a ladder or stairs.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 楼梯lóu tīstairs; staircase梯 = tī
- 电梯diàn tīelevator; lift梯 = tī
Go deeper
All readings
ladder; stairs
ladder; stairs; steps; something shaped like a ladder
帮助人上下的用具或设备，如梯子、楼梯；也指像阶梯一样分层的东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 楼梯lóu tīstairs; staircase梯 = tī
- 电梯diàn tīelevator; lift梯 = tī
Sound component
弟 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 梯 mean?
梯 (tī) means ladder; stairs; steps; something shaped like a ladder.
How do you pronounce 梯?
It is pronounced tī.
What parts is 梯 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 弟 (younger brother), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·木部：梯，木階也。从木弟聲（现代字形 ⿰木弟；笔画核验 木4 + 弟7 = 11）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 梯 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 梯?
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 梯?
Common ones are 楼梯 and 电梯. The reading of 梯 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.