泌 (mì) is a Chinese character meaning “to secrete”. It is written from 氵 (water (left-side form)) and 必 (must; certainly), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to secrete”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
氵 + 必
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿰氵必，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「氵」三点，笔画 3–7 与「必」逐笔对应（3+5=8画）
Memory aid
Water (氵) that a body must (必) let out — fluid seeping out drop by drop.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 分泌fēn mìto secrete; secretion泌 = mì
- 泌尿mì niàourinary (as in urinary tract / urology)泌 = mì
Go deeper
All readings
to secrete
to secrete; to seep out (of a fluid)
液体从生物体或泉眼中一点一点地流出、渗出。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 分泌fēn mìto secrete; secretion泌 = mì
- 泌尿mì niàourinary (as in urinary tract / urology)泌 = mì
Rare readings, not taught: bì
Sound component
必 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 泌 mean?
泌 (mì) means to secrete; to seep out (of a fluid).
How do you pronounce 泌?
It is pronounced mì.
What parts is 泌 made of?
氵 (water (left-side form)) and 必 (must; certainly), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿰氵必，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「氵」三点，笔画 3–7 与「必」逐笔对应（3+5=8画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 泌 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 泌?
水. 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 泌?
Common ones are 分泌 and 泌尿. The reading of 泌 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.