祟 (suì) is a Chinese character meaning “evil spirit”. It is written from 出 (to go out; to come out) and 示 (altar; to show, to indicate), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “evil spirit; to haunt”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
出 + 示
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 祟，神禍也。从示从出。（现代字形对照笔顺数据核验：出 5 画 + 示 5 画 = 10 画）
Memory aid
Something comes out (出) from above the altar (示) — a spirit that won't stay put and makes mischief. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 作祟zuò suìto haunt; to make mischief; to be the hidden cause of trouble祟 = suì
- 鬼鬼祟祟guǐ guǐ suì suìsneaky; furtive; stealthy祟 = suìspoken asguí guǐ suì suì
Go deeper
All readings
evil spirit; to haunt
evil spirit; ghostly mischief; to haunt; (of people) underhand, sneaky
迷信说法中鬼神带来的灾祸；比喻暗中捣乱、不光明正大。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 作祟zuò suìto haunt; to make mischief; to be the hidden cause of trouble祟 = suì
- 鬼鬼祟祟guǐ guǐ suì suìsneaky; furtive; stealthy祟 = suìspoken asguí guǐ suì suì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 祟 mean?
祟 (suì) means evil spirit; ghostly mischief; to haunt; (of people) underhand, sneaky.
How do you pronounce 祟?
It is pronounced suì.
What parts is 祟 made of?
出 (to go out; to come out) and 示 (altar; to show, to indicate), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 祟，神禍也。从示从出。（现代字形对照笔顺数据核验：出 5 画 + 示 5 画 = 10 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 祟 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 祟?
示. 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 祟?
Common ones are 作祟 and 鬼鬼祟祟. The reading of 祟 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.