歧 (qí) is a Chinese character meaning “fork in a road”. It is written from 止 (stop) and 支 (branch; to support), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “fork in a road; divergent”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
止 + 支
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分 ⿰止支（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验：4+4=8）；支 为声符，属 支 声系（岐/技/枝）
Memory aid
A foot (止) halts where the road branches (支): one way splits into two, and you have to choose.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 分歧fēn qídifference; divergence; disagreement歧 = qí
- 歧视qí shìto discriminate against; discrimination歧 = qí
Go deeper
All readings
fork in a road
fork in a road; branching off; divergent; differing
岔开的路；引申指分开的、不一致的。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 分歧fēn qídifference; divergence; disagreement歧 = qí
- 歧视qí shìto discriminate against; discrimination歧 = qí
Sound component
支 family onset shift
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 歧 mean?
歧 (qí) means fork in a road; branching off; divergent; differing.
How do you pronounce 歧?
It is pronounced qí.
What parts is 歧 made of?
止 (stop) and 支 (branch; to support), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分 ⿰止支（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验：4+4=8）；支 为声符，属 支 声系（岐/技/枝）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 歧 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 歧?
止. 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 歧?
Common ones are 分歧 and 歧视. The reading of 歧 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.