制 (zhì) is a Chinese character meaning “to make, to manufacture”. It is written from 𠂒 (the slanted top with two crossbars, as in 制) and 巾 (cloth) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to make; to control”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
𠂒 + 巾 + 刂
Left–right structure
- 𠂒 the slanted top with two crossbars, as in 制 unknown
- 巾 cloth · jīn unknown
- 刂 knife (side form) · dāo meaning
Structure from: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 𠂒 / 3-5 巾 / 6-7 刂）
Memory aid
A cloth (巾) hangs under the slanted top (𠂒), and the knife (刂) at the right trims it to size — you make things, and you keep them under control.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 控制kòng zhìto control; to keep in check制 = zhì
- 制作zhì zuòto make; to produce制 = zhì
- 抑制yì zhìto restrain; to inhibit; to curb制 = zhì
- 挟制xié zhìto keep someone under control by exploiting their weakness制 = zhì
- 钳制qián zhìto clamp down on; to restrain; to suppress制 = zhì
- 限制xiàn zhìto restrict; restriction; limit制 = zhì
Go deeper
All readings
to make; to control
to make, to manufacture; to control, to restrict; a system
制作、制造；管束、限制；也指制度。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 控制kòng zhìto control; to keep in check制 = zhì
- 制作zhì zuòto make; to produce制 = zhì
- 抑制yì zhìto restrain; to inhibit; to curb制 = zhì
- 挟制xié zhìto keep someone under control by exploiting their weakness制 = zhì
- 钳制qián zhìto clamp down on; to restrain; to suppress制 = zhì
- 限制xiàn zhìto restrict; restriction; limit制 = zhì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 制 mean?
制 (zhì) means to make, to manufacture; to control, to restrict; a system.
How do you pronounce 制?
It is pronounced zhì.
What parts is 制 made of?
𠂒 (the slanted top with two crossbars, as in 制) and 巾 (cloth) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 𠂒 / 3-5 巾 / 6-7 刂）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 制 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 制?
刂. 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 制?
Common ones are 控制 and 制作. The reading of 制 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.