点 (diǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “a dot”. It is written from 占 (to divine; to occupy) and 灬 (fire dots (bottom form of 火)), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “dot; point”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
占 + 灬
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字（點，小黑也。从黑占聲）；简化字形 点 保留声符 占 与「黑」下部四点，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验
Memory aid
占 sits on top of four little dots (灬) — four tiny marks burnt into the page. Both parts are really in this character, and what they leave behind is a dot.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 点头diǎn tóuto nod (one’s head)点 = diǎn
- 优点yōu diǎnstrong point; merit; advantage点 = diǎn
- 弱点ruò diǎnweakness; weak point点 = diǎn
- 斑点bān diǎnspot; stain; speckle点 = diǎn
- 点缀diǎn zhuìto embellish; to decorate; an ornament点 = diǎn
- 甜点tián diǎndessert; sweet snack点 = diǎn
Go deeper
All readings
dot; point
a dot; a spot; a point; a little bit; o'clock; to nod; to order (food)
小的痕迹或斑点；引申为一点儿、钟点，也表示向下轻动（点头）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 点头diǎn tóuto nod (one’s head)点 = diǎn
- 优点yōu diǎnstrong point; merit; advantage点 = diǎn
- 弱点ruò diǎnweakness; weak point点 = diǎn
- 斑点bān diǎnspot; stain; speckle点 = diǎn
- 点缀diǎn zhuìto embellish; to decorate; an ornament点 = diǎn
- 甜点tián diǎndessert; sweet snack点 = diǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 点 mean?
点 (diǎn) means a dot; a spot; a point; a little bit; o'clock; to nod; to order (food).
How do you pronounce 点?
It is pronounced diǎn.
What parts is 点 made of?
占 (to divine; to occupy) and 灬 (fire dots (bottom form of 火)), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字（點，小黑也。从黑占聲）；简化字形 点 保留声符 占 与「黑」下部四点，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 点 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 点?
灬. 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 点?
Common ones are 点头 and 优点. The reading of 点 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.