刺 (cì) is a Chinese character meaning “a thorn or splinter”. It is written from 朿 (thorn; thorny branch) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “thorn; to pierce”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
朿 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·刀部：从刀，朿声
Memory aid
A thorny branch (朿) next to a knife (刂) — both parts are really in this character. Anything with that shape can prick you.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 刺激cì jīto stimulate; to irritate; stimulus; exciting刺 = cì
- 讽刺fěng cìto satirize; satire; irony刺 = cì
- 刺绣cì xiùembroidery; to embroider刺 = cì
Go deeper
All readings
thorn; to pierce
a thorn or splinter; to pierce, stab or prick; to irritate; to satirize
尖锐像针的东西；用尖锐的东西扎进去；也指使人不舒服或加以讥讽。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刺激cì jīto stimulate; to irritate; stimulus; exciting刺 = cì
- 讽刺fěng cìto satirize; satire; irony刺 = cì
- 刺绣cì xiùembroidery; to embroider刺 = cì
Sound component
朿 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刺 mean?
刺 (cì) means a thorn or splinter; to pierce, stab or prick; to irritate; to satirize.
How do you pronounce 刺?
It is pronounced cì.
What parts is 刺 made of?
朿 (thorn; thorny branch) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·刀部：从刀，朿声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 刺 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刺?
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 刺?
Common ones are 刺激 and 讽刺. The reading of 刺 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.