细 (xì) is a Chinese character meaning “thin”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 田 (field; farmland), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “thin; fine”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 田
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：纟3画 + 田5画 = 8画）
Memory aid
Silk threads (纟) stretched beside a field (田): the thin lines that divide the ground are as fine as thread.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 仔细zǐ xìcareful; attentive; meticulous细 = xì
- 详细xiáng xìdetailed; in detail细 = xì
- 粗细cūxìthickness; degree of coarseness细 = xì
- 精雕细琢jīng diāo xì zhuóto carve and polish with meticulous care细 = xì
- 细胞xì bāocell (biology)细 = xì
- 细菌xì jūnbacterium; germ细 = xì
Go deeper
All readings
thin; fine
thin; slender; fine; detailed; careful; in small particles
横截面小的；颗粒小的。也指周密、仔细。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 仔细zǐ xìcareful; attentive; meticulous细 = xì
- 详细xiáng xìdetailed; in detail细 = xì
- 粗细cūxìthickness; degree of coarseness细 = xì
- 精雕细琢jīng diāo xì zhuóto carve and polish with meticulous care细 = xì
- 细胞xì bāocell (biology)细 = xì
- 细菌xì jūnbacterium; germ细 = xì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 细 mean?
细 (xì) means thin; slender; fine; detailed; careful; in small particles.
How do you pronounce 细?
It is pronounced xì.
What parts is 细 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 田 (field; farmland), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：纟3画 + 田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 细 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 细?
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 细?
Common ones are 仔细 and 详细. The reading of 细 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.