企 (qǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “to stand on tiptoe”. It is written from 人 (person) and 止 (stop), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to stand on tiptoe; enterprise”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
人 + 止
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字：企，舉踵也。从人止聲
Memory aid
A person (人) standing on their feet (止), heels lifted, straining to see what is coming. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 企业qǐ yèenterprise; company企 = qǐ
- 企图qǐ túto attempt; attempt企 = qǐ
Go deeper
All readings
to stand on tiptoe
to stand on tiptoe; to look forward to; (in compounds) business, enterprise
踮起脚后跟向远处看；盼望。也用于「企业」等词，指工商业单位。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 企业qǐ yèenterprise; company企 = qǐ
- 企图qǐ túto attempt; attempt企 = qǐ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 企 mean?
企 (qǐ) means to stand on tiptoe; to look forward to; (in compounds) business, enterprise.
How do you pronounce 企?
It is pronounced qǐ.
What parts is 企 made of?
人 (person) and 止 (stop), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：企，舉踵也。从人止聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 企 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 企?
人. 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 企?
Common ones are 企业 and 企图. The reading of 企 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.