西 (xī) is a Chinese character meaning “west”. It is written from 一 (one) and 囗 (enclosure, surrounding frame) and 儿 (child; legs), and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “west”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
一 + 囗 + 儿
Overlapping structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：第 1 笔为「一」，第 2、3、6 笔构成「囗」，第 4、5 笔构成「儿」，两笔穿过框顶）
Memory aid
One bar (一) lies across the top, a pen (囗) stands below it, and two legs (儿) walk up into the pen and stop. Day is over — the sun has gone west.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 西瓜xī guāwatermelon西 = xī
- 巴西bā xīBrazil西 = xī
- 西芹xī qíncelery (the thick-stalked Western variety)西 = xī
- 西洋xī yángthe West; the Western world西 = xī
- 西红柿xī hóng shìtomato西 = xī
- 陕西shǎn xīShaanxi (a province in northwest China)西 = xī
Go deeper
All readings
west
west; western; westward
方向之一，太阳落下去的那一边。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 西瓜xī guāwatermelon西 = xī
- 巴西bā xīBrazil西 = xī
- 西芹xī qíncelery (the thick-stalked Western variety)西 = xī
- 西洋xī yángthe West; the Western world西 = xī
- 西红柿xī hóng shìtomato西 = xī
- 陕西shǎn xīShaanxi (a province in northwest China)西 = xī
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 西 mean?
西 (xī) means west; western; westward.
How do you pronounce 西?
It is pronounced xī.
What parts is 西 made of?
一 (one) and 囗 (enclosure, surrounding frame) and 儿 (child; legs). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：第 1 笔为「一」，第 2、3、6 笔构成「囗」，第 4、5 笔构成「儿」，两笔穿过框顶）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 西 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 西?
西. 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 西?
Common ones are 西瓜 and 巴西. The reading of 西 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.