袋 (dài) is a Chinese character meaning “bag”. It is written from 代 (to replace; to act on behalf of; generation) and 衣 (clothing; garment), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “bag; sack”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
代 + 衣
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 11 笔核验：代 5 笔 + 衣 6 笔）
Memory aid
Cloth (衣) sewn up to stand in for (代) your hands and carry things for you — that is 袋, a bag.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 袋子dài zibag; sack袋 = dài
- 塑料袋sù liào dàiplastic bag袋 = dài
Go deeper
All readings
bag; pocket; sack
bag; sack; pocket; pouch; (measure word for bagfuls or for a pipe of tobacco)
口袋、袋子，用布、纸、塑料等做成的装东西的用具；也作量词。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 袋子dài zibag; sack袋 = dài
- 塑料袋sù liào dàiplastic bag袋 = dài
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 袋 mean?
袋 (dài) means bag; sack; pocket; pouch; (measure word for bagfuls or for a pipe of tobacco).
How do you pronounce 袋?
It is pronounced dài.
What parts is 袋 made of?
代 (to replace; to act on behalf of; generation) and 衣 (clothing; garment), one above the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 11 笔核验：代 5 笔 + 衣 6 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 袋 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 袋?
衣. 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 袋?
Common ones are 袋子 and 塑料袋. The reading of 袋 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.