颈 (jǐng) is a Chinese character meaning “neck”. It is written from 𢀖 (phonetic element of 颈 / 经 / 劲 / 轻 (jīng); traditional 巠, written as ス over 工 in simplified forms) and 页 (head; page, leaf (of a book)), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “neck”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
𢀖 + 页
Left–right structure
- 𢀖 phonetic element of 颈 / 经 / 劲 / 轻 (jīng); traditional 巠, written as ス over 工 in simplified forms · jīng sound
- 页 head; page, leaf (of a book) · yè meaning
Structure from: 说文解字: 頸，头茎也。从頁巠声；简化字形经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（𢀖5 + 页6）
Memory aid
On the right is a head (页). On the left, 𢀖 stands like a straight stalk holding it up — the stalk under your head is your neck. 𢀖 also hints the sound: jīng → jǐng.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 长颈鹿cháng jǐng lùgiraffe颈 = jǐng
- 颈部jǐng bùneck (area of the body)颈 = jǐng
Go deeper
All readings
neck
neck; the neck-like narrow part of an object
头和躯干相连的部分；也指器物上像脖子的细长部分。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 长颈鹿cháng jǐng lùgiraffe颈 = jǐng
- 颈部jǐng bùneck (area of the body)颈 = jǐng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 颈 mean?
颈 (jǐng) means neck; the neck-like narrow part of an object.
How do you pronounce 颈?
It is pronounced jǐng.
What parts is 颈 made of?
𢀖 (phonetic element of 颈 / 经 / 劲 / 轻 (jīng); traditional 巠, written as ス over 工 in simplified forms) and 页 (head; page, leaf (of a book)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 頸，头茎也。从頁巠声；简化字形经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（𢀖5 + 页6）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 颈 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 颈?
页. 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 颈?
Common ones are 长颈鹿 and 颈部. The reading of 颈 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.