抵 (dǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “to push back against”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 氐 (base; foundation (used mainly as a sound component)), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to resist; to push back against”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 氐
Left–right structure
- 扌 hand (radical form) · shǒu meaning
- 氐 base; foundation (used mainly as a sound component) · dī sound
Structure from: 说文解字: 抵，擠也。从手氐聲
Memory aid
A hand (扌) braced against 氐, the sound part read dī. Picture your palm planted on something and pushing back: 抵 — to hold off, to resist.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 抵抗dǐ kàngto resist; to stand up against抵 = dǐ
- 抵押dǐ yāto mortgage; to pledge as collateral抵 = dǐ
Go deeper
All readings
to resist; to be equal to
to push back against; to resist; to support or prop up; to offset; to be equal in value to
用力顶住、抗拒；也表示用一物折算或补偿另一物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 抵抗dǐ kàngto resist; to stand up against抵 = dǐ
- 抵押dǐ yāto mortgage; to pledge as collateral抵 = dǐ
Sound component
氐 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 抵 mean?
抵 (dǐ) means to push back against; to resist; to support or prop up; to offset; to be equal in value to.
How do you pronounce 抵?
It is pronounced dǐ.
What parts is 抵 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 氐 (base; foundation (used mainly as a sound component)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 抵，擠也。从手氐聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 抵 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 抵?
扌. 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 抵?
Common ones are 抵抗 and 抵押. The reading of 抵 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.