迈 (mài) is a Chinese character meaning “to take a step”. It is written from 辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 万 (ten thousand), one enclosing the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to step; to stride”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
辶 + 万
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代简化字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：辶 3 画 + 万 3 画 = 6 画）
Memory aid
The movement radical 辶 sweeps under 万 ("ten thousand"): ten thousand paces on the road — you stride forward.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 迈步mài bùto take a step; to stride forward迈 = mài
- 年迈nián màiaged; advanced in years迈 = mài
Go deeper
All readings
to step; to stride
to take a step; to stride forward; (of a person) advanced in years
抬起脚向前走；跨步。也表示年纪大。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 迈步mài bùto take a step; to stride forward迈 = mài
- 年迈nián màiaged; advanced in years迈 = mài
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 迈 mean?
迈 (mài) means to take a step; to stride forward; (of a person) advanced in years.
How do you pronounce 迈?
It is pronounced mài.
What parts is 迈 made of?
辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 万 (ten thousand), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代简化字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：辶 3 画 + 万 3 画 = 6 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 迈 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 迈?
辶. 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 迈?
Common ones are 迈步 and 年迈. The reading of 迈 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.