卿 (qīng) is a Chinese character meaning “high-ranking official”. It is written from 𠂎 (sideways pressing hand (left-side form of the claw/hand component)) and 皀 (food heaped in a serving vessel; inside 即, 既 and 卿 it is written in a reduced five-stroke form) and 卩 (kneeling person; seal (tally)), and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “high minister”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
𠂎 + 皀 + 卩
Left–middle–right structure
- 𠂎 sideways pressing hand (left-side form of the claw/hand component) unknown
- 皀 food heaped in a serving vessel; inside 即, 既 and 卿 it is written in a reduced five-stroke form unknown
- 卩 kneeling person; seal (tally) · jié unknown
Structure from: IDS ⿲𠂎皀卩（Unicode 表意文字描述序列），与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画 3+5+2=10 核验一致；中部 皀 在现代规范字形中写作五笔简省形。仅描述现代字形，构意未确认
Memory aid
Picture two figures, 𠂎 on the left and 卩 on the right, facing a food vessel 皀 between them — a seat at the table for a high minister. (A memory aid, not the historical origin.)
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 国务卿guó wù qīngSecretary of State (e.g. of the United States)卿 = qīng
- 公卿gōng qīnghigh-ranking officials of ancient China卿 = qīng
Go deeper
All readings
high minister
high-ranking official; minister (in ancient times); a term of address used by a ruler for a minister
古代高级官名；也是君主对臣子的称呼。现代用于「国务卿」等职称。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 国务卿guó wù qīngSecretary of State (e.g. of the United States)卿 = qīng
- 公卿gōng qīnghigh-ranking officials of ancient China卿 = qīng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 卿 mean?
卿 (qīng) means high-ranking official; minister (in ancient times); a term of address used by a ruler for a minister.
How do you pronounce 卿?
It is pronounced qīng.
What parts is 卿 made of?
𠂎 (sideways pressing hand (left-side form of the claw/hand component)) and 皀 (food heaped in a serving vessel; inside 即, 既 and 卿 it is written in a reduced five-stroke form) and 卩 (kneeling person; seal (tally)). The recorded source is: IDS ⿲𠂎皀卩（Unicode 表意文字描述序列），与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画 3+5+2=10 核验一致；中部 皀 在现代规范字形中写作五笔简省形。仅描述现代字形，构意未确认. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 卿 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 卿?
卩. 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 卿?
Common ones are 国务卿 and 公卿. The reading of 卿 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.