贿 (huì) is a Chinese character meaning “bribe”. It is written from 贝 (shell) and 有 (to have; there is), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “bribe”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
贝 + 有
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：賄，財也。从貝有聲
Memory aid
A cowrie shell (贝), old Chinese money, next to 有 — to have. Both parts are really in this character: money handed over so someone can have what they shouldn't — a bribe.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 贿赂huì lùbribe; to bribe; bribery贿 = huì
- 受贿shòu huìto accept bribes贿 = huì
Go deeper
All readings
bribe
bribe; to bribe; (archaic) wealth, goods
用财物买通别人；也指用来买通别人的财物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 贿赂huì lùbribe; to bribe; bribery贿 = huì
- 受贿shòu huìto accept bribes贿 = huì
Sound component
有 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贿 mean?
贿 (huì) means bribe; to bribe; (archaic) wealth, goods.
How do you pronounce 贿?
It is pronounced huì.
What parts is 贿 made of?
贝 (shell) and 有 (to have; there is), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：賄，財也。从貝有聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贿 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贿?
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 贿?
Common ones are 贿赂 and 受贿. The reading of 贿 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.