戈 (gē) is a Chinese character meaning “dagger-axe”. It is written from 弋 (corded arrow; to shoot with a retrievable arrow) and 丿 (left-falling stroke), and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “dagger-axe (ancient weapon)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
弋 + 丿
Overlapping structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 modern glyph and stroke inspection: 戈 strokes 1/2/4 match the three strokes of 弋, stroke 3 is 丿
Memory aid
A corded arrow (弋) with one more slash (丿) cut across it — now it is a bladed pole weapon: 戈.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 干戈gān gēweapons of war; warfare (literally: shield and dagger-axe)戈 = gē
- 倒戈dǎo gēto defect; to switch sides in battle (literally: to turn one's weapon around)戈 = gē
Go deeper
All readings
dagger-axe
dagger-axe; halberd; an ancient Chinese pole weapon with a horizontal blade
古代的一种长柄兵器，横刃装在长柄上。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 干戈gān gēweapons of war; warfare (literally: shield and dagger-axe)戈 = gē
- 倒戈dǎo gēto defect; to switch sides in battle (literally: to turn one's weapon around)戈 = gē
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 戈 mean?
戈 (gē) means dagger-axe; halberd; an ancient Chinese pole weapon with a horizontal blade.
How do you pronounce 戈?
It is pronounced gē.
What parts is 戈 made of?
弋 (corded arrow; to shoot with a retrievable arrow) and 丿 (left-falling stroke). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 modern glyph and stroke inspection: 戈 strokes 1/2/4 match the three strokes of 弋, stroke 3 is 丿. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 戈 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 戈?
戈. 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 戈?
Common ones are 干戈 and 倒戈. The reading of 戈 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.