织 (zhī) is a Chinese character meaning “to weave (cloth)”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 只 (only; measure word for animals), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to weave”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 只
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·糸部（織，作布帛之總名。从糸戠聲）；简化字以「只」替换声符「戠」；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 核验：8 画 = 纟 3 画 + 只 5 画
Memory aid
Thread (纟) on the left, 只 on the right: it takes only (只) thread to weave cloth. Both parts really are in this character, and 只 zhǐ is also what hands you the sound zhī.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 纺织fǎng zhīspinning and weaving; textiles织 = zhī
- 组织zǔ zhīto organize; organization; tissue (in biology)织 = zhī
Go deeper
All readings
to weave
to weave (cloth); to knit; to organize into a whole
用丝、麻、棉、毛等纤维交错编成布或衣物；也指编结、组合成整体。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 纺织fǎng zhīspinning and weaving; textiles织 = zhī
- 组织zǔ zhīto organize; organization; tissue (in biology)织 = zhī
Sound component
只 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 织 mean?
织 (zhī) means to weave (cloth); to knit; to organize into a whole.
How do you pronounce 织?
It is pronounced zhī.
What parts is 织 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 只 (only; measure word for animals), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·糸部（織，作布帛之總名。从糸戠聲）；简化字以「只」替换声符「戠」；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 核验：8 画 = 纟 3 画 + 只 5 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 织 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 织?
纟. 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 织?
Common ones are 纺织 and 组织. The reading of 织 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.