砌 (qì) is a Chinese character meaning “to build by laying bricks or stones”. It is written from 石 (stone; rock) and 切 (to cut), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to lay bricks or stones”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
石 + 切
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·石部：砌，階甃也。从石切聲；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（石 5 画 + 切 4 画 = 砌 9 画）
Memory aid
Stone (石) on the left tells you what the work is made of; 切 on the right only lends its sound. Stone after stone, you lay up a wall.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 砌墙qì qiángto build a wall (by laying bricks or stones)砌 = qì
- 堆砌duī qìto pile up (stones, bricks); to pile on ornate words砌 = qì
Go deeper
All readings
to lay bricks or stones
to build by laying bricks or stones; to lay up (a wall); to pave
用砖、石等一层层垒起来，多指砌墙、铺台阶。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 砌墙qì qiángto build a wall (by laying bricks or stones)砌 = qì
- 堆砌duī qìto pile up (stones, bricks); to pile on ornate words砌 = qì
Sound component
切 family rime near
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 砌 mean?
砌 (qì) means to build by laying bricks or stones; to lay up (a wall); to pave.
How do you pronounce 砌?
It is pronounced qì.
What parts is 砌 made of?
石 (stone; rock) and 切 (to cut), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·石部：砌，階甃也。从石切聲；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（石 5 画 + 切 4 画 = 砌 9 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 砌 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 砌?
石. 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 砌?
Common ones are 砌墙 and 堆砌. The reading of 砌 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.