依 (yī) is a Chinese character meaning “to rely on”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 衣 (clothing; garment), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to rely on”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
亻 + 衣
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·人部：依，倚也。从人，衣聲。（现代字形拆分已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：2 + 6 = 8）
Memory aid
A person (亻) next to clothing (衣) — what you put on is what you lean on. And 衣 yī also tells you how 依 sounds.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 依靠yī kàoto rely on; to depend on依 = yī
- 依然yī ránstill; as before依 = yī
- 依偎yī wēito snuggle up to; to nestle against依 = yī
- 依恃yī shìto rely on; to count on依 = yī
- 偎依wēi yīto snuggle up to; to lean close against依 = yī
Go deeper
All readings
to rely on
to rely on; to depend on; to comply with; according to
依靠；顺从；按照。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 依靠yī kàoto rely on; to depend on依 = yī
- 依然yī ránstill; as before依 = yī
- 依偎yī wēito snuggle up to; to nestle against依 = yī
- 依恃yī shìto rely on; to count on依 = yī
- 偎依wēi yīto snuggle up to; to lean close against依 = yī
Sound component
衣 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 依 mean?
依 (yī) means to rely on; to depend on; to comply with; according to.
How do you pronounce 依?
It is pronounced yī.
What parts is 依 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 衣 (clothing; garment), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·人部：依，倚也。从人，衣聲。（现代字形拆分已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：2 + 6 = 8）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 依 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 依?
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 依?
Common ones are 依靠 and 依然. The reading of 依 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.