仇 (chóu) is a Chinese character meaning “enemy”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 九 (nine), side by side, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “enemy”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
亻 + 九
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分：⿰亻九，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（亻2画 + 九2画 = 仇4画）
Memory aid
A person (亻) standing next to the number nine (九) — nine grudges kept against the same person. That is a 仇: a foe.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 仇人chóu rénpersonal enemy; foe仇 = chóu
Go deeper
Questions people ask about this character
What does 仇 mean?
仇 (chóu) means enemy; foe; hatred, enmity.
How do you pronounce 仇?
It is pronounced chóu.
What parts is 仇 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 九 (nine), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分：⿰亻九，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（亻2画 + 九2画 = 仇4画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 仇 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 仇?
亻. 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 仇?
Common ones are 仇人. The reading of 仇 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.