夷 (yí) is a Chinese character meaning “to raze”. It is written from 大 (big) and 弓 (bow), and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to raze; to level to the ground”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
大 + 弓
Overlapping structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 夷，东方之人也。从大从弓 + hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 modern glyph inspection (6 strokes: 横 / 横折 / 横 / 横折折钩 / 撇 / 捺; strokes 0,4,5 form 大, strokes 1-3 form 弓)
Memory aid
A big figure (大) stands with arms spread, and a bow (弓) is slung right through the middle of it. Both parts are really in this character. Picture the archer walking over the ground he has just flattened — 夷 is to level something.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 夷平yí píngto raze to the ground; to level夷 = yí
Go deeper
All readings
to raze; to level
to raze; to level to the ground; to wipe out; (historical) the ancient peoples of the east
铲平；使平坦；消灭。也指古代对东方部族的称呼。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 夷平yí píngto raze to the ground; to level夷 = yí
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 夷 mean?
夷 (yí) means to raze; to level to the ground; to wipe out; (historical) the ancient peoples of the east.
How do you pronounce 夷?
It is pronounced yí.
What parts is 夷 made of?
大 (big) and 弓 (bow). The recorded source is: 说文解字: 夷，东方之人也。从大从弓 + hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 modern glyph inspection (6 strokes: 横 / 横折 / 横 / 横折折钩 / 撇 / 捺; strokes 0,4,5 form 大, strokes 1-3 form 弓). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 夷 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 夷?
大. 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 夷?
Common ones are 夷平. The reading of 夷 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.