越 (yuè) is a Chinese character meaning “to cross over”. It is written from 走 (to walk; to go) and 戉 (broad battle-axe (ancient weapon)), one enclosing the other, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to cross; to surpass”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
走 + 戉
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺走戉，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：越 共 12 笔，笔画 0–6 为「走」，7–11 为「戉」（横、竖提、斜钩、撇、点）；《说文解字》越，度也，从走戉声
Memory aid
走 is walking; 戉 is a big battle-axe. Walk (走) straight past the guard's axe (戉) and you have gone beyond the line — 越, to cross over, to surpass. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 超越chāo yuèto surpass; to exceed; to transcend越 = yuè
- 卓越zhuó yuèoutstanding; excellent越 = yuè
Go deeper
All readings
to cross; to exceed; the more…the more
to cross over; to jump over; to exceed; to surpass; (越…越…) the more… the more…
跨过，度过；超出。也用于「越……越……」，表示程度随条件加深。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 超越chāo yuèto surpass; to exceed; to transcend越 = yuè
- 卓越zhuó yuèoutstanding; excellent越 = yuè
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 越 mean?
越 (yuè) means to cross over; to jump over; to exceed; to surpass; (越…越…) the more… the more….
How do you pronounce 越?
It is pronounced yuè.
What parts is 越 made of?
走 (to walk; to go) and 戉 (broad battle-axe (ancient weapon)), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺走戉，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：越 共 12 笔，笔画 0–6 为「走」，7–11 为「戉」（横、竖提、斜钩、撇、点）；《说文解字》越，度也，从走戉声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 越 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 越?
走. 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 越?
Common ones are 超越 and 卓越. The reading of 越 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.