质 (zhì) is a Chinese character meaning “quality”. It is written from 斤 (catty (unit of weight)) and 贝 (shell), one enclosing the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “quality”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
斤 + 贝
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-3 斤 / 4-7 贝）
Memory aid
Put it on the scale (斤) and count out the shell-money (贝) it is worth — weighing and paying is how you judge the quality of a thing.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 质量zhì liàngquality质 = zhì
- 物质wù zhìmatter; substance质 = zhì
- 文质彬彬wén zhì bīn bīnrefined and gentle; well-mannered and cultivated质 = zhì
Go deeper
All readings
quality; substance
quality; nature; substance; matter
事物的本质、品质；也指构成事物的材料。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 质量zhì liàngquality质 = zhì
- 物质wù zhìmatter; substance质 = zhì
- 文质彬彬wén zhì bīn bīnrefined and gentle; well-mannered and cultivated质 = zhì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 质 mean?
质 (zhì) means quality; nature; substance; matter.
How do you pronounce 质?
It is pronounced zhì.
What parts is 质 made of?
斤 (catty (unit of weight)) and 贝 (shell), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-3 斤 / 4-7 贝）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 质 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 质?
贝. 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 质?
Common ones are 质量 and 物质. The reading of 质 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.