组 (zǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “a group”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 且 (moreover; for the time being), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “group”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 且
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：纟 3 画 + 且 5 画 = 8 画）
Memory aid
Silk thread (纟) runs through 且, a stack of separate layers piled one on top of another. Thread binds the loose layers into one bundle — a group.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 小组xiǎo zǔsmall group; team组 = zǔspoken asxiáo zǔHSK 4
- 组成zǔ chéngto form; to make up; to compose组 = zǔHSK 4
- 组织zǔ zhīto organize; organization; tissue (in biology)组 = zǔ
Go deeper
All readings
group
a group; a team; to form; to organize; a set of things taken together
由若干人或事物合成的单位；也指把分散的人或事物结合起来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 小组xiǎo zǔsmall group; team组 = zǔspoken asxiáo zǔHSK 4
- 组成zǔ chéngto form; to make up; to compose组 = zǔHSK 4
- 组织zǔ zhīto organize; organization; tissue (in biology)组 = zǔ
Sound component
且 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 组 mean?
组 (zǔ) means a group; a team; to form; to organize; a set of things taken together.
How do you pronounce 组?
It is pronounced zǔ.
What parts is 组 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 且 (moreover; for the time being), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：纟 3 画 + 且 5 画 = 8 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 组 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 组?
纟. 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 组?
Common ones are 小组 and 组成. The reading of 组 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.