哲 (zhé) is a Chinese character meaning “wise”. It is written from 折 (to break; to fold) and 口 (mouth), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “wise; philosophy”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
折 + 口
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 哲，知也。从口折声；hanzi-writer-data 现代字形笔画核验（第1–7笔为「折」，第8–10笔为「口」）
Memory aid
Break (折) a hard question into pieces, then put it into words with your mouth (口). Taking ideas apart and speaking them clearly — that is 哲, wisdom.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 哲学zhé xuéphilosophy哲 = zhé
- 哲理zhé lǐphilosophical insight; philosophy of life哲 = zhé
Go deeper
All readings
wise; philosophy
wise; sagacious; a wise person; philosophy
有智慧的、明智的；也指有智慧的人，常用于「哲学」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 哲学zhé xuéphilosophy哲 = zhé
- 哲理zhé lǐphilosophical insight; philosophy of life哲 = zhé
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 哲 mean?
哲 (zhé) means wise; sagacious; a wise person; philosophy.
How do you pronounce 哲?
It is pronounced zhé.
What parts is 哲 made of?
折 (to break; to fold) and 口 (mouth), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 哲，知也。从口折声；hanzi-writer-data 现代字形笔画核验（第1–7笔为「折」，第8–10笔为「口」）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 哲 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 哲?
口. 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 哲?
Common ones are 哲学 and 哲理. The reading of 哲 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.