脊 (jǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “spine”. It is written from 𠦬 (top part of 脊; in Shuowen it depicts the ribs along the backbone. In modern 脊 it is written as 人 with two short strokes on each side) and 月 (moon; month), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “spine; backbone”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
𠦬 + 月
Top–bottom structure
- 𠦬 top part of 脊; in Shuowen it depicts the ribs along the backbone. In modern 脊 it is written as 人 with two short strokes on each side meaning
- 月 moon; month · yuè meaning
Structure from: 说文解字: 脊，背吕也。从𠦬从肉 + hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（10 画：上𠦬 6 + 下月 4）
Memory aid
Short strokes branch out left and right from a centre line on top (𠦬), like ribs off a backbone, sitting on the body (月). Ribs on the body — that is the spine. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 脊背jǐ bèithe back (of the body)脊 = jǐ
- 屋脊wū jǐridge of a roof脊 = jǐ
Go deeper
All readings
spine; backbone; ridge
spine; backbone; a ridge (the raised middle line of something, e.g. a roof)
人或动物背部中间的骨头；也指物体中间高起的部分，如屋脊。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 脊背jǐ bèithe back (of the body)脊 = jǐ
- 屋脊wū jǐridge of a roof脊 = jǐ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 脊 mean?
脊 (jǐ) means spine; backbone; a ridge (the raised middle line of something, e.g. a roof).
How do you pronounce 脊?
It is pronounced jǐ.
What parts is 脊 made of?
𠦬 (top part of 脊; in Shuowen it depicts the ribs along the backbone. In modern 脊 it is written as 人 with two short strokes on each side) and 月 (moon; month), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 脊，背吕也。从𠦬从肉 + hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（10 画：上𠦬 6 + 下月 4）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 脊 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 脊?
月. 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 脊?
Common ones are 脊背 and 屋脊. The reading of 脊 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.