还 (hái) is a Chinese character meaning “still”. It is written from 辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 不 (not), one enclosing the other, and takes 7 strokes. It has a second reading, huán, which turns up in 还给 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “still; also”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
辶 + 不
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶不，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「不」（横、撇、竖、点），笔画 4–6 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺）
Memory aid
The road radical 辶 runs underneath, and 不 (not) rides on top: you take the road, but not away for good — you still come back, and you give it back. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 还有hái yǒuand also; in addition; there is still还 = hái
- 还是hái shìstill; nevertheless; had better还 = hái
Go deeper
All readings
still; also
still; yet; also; in addition; even more
表示动作或状态持续不变；也表示另外补充。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 还有hái yǒuand also; in addition; there is still还 = hái
- 还是hái shìstill; nevertheless; had better还 = hái
to return; to give back
to return something; to give back; to repay
把借来的或不属于自己的东西交回去；偿还。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 还给huán gěito give back to; to return something to someone还 = huán
- 偿还cháng huánto repay; to pay back (a debt)还 = huán
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 还 mean?
还 (hái) means still; yet; also; in addition; even more.
How do you pronounce 还?
Its main reading is hái. It also has a second reading, huán, which only shows up in certain words such as 还给 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 还 sometimes pronounced huán?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 还给 it is read huán.
What parts is 还 made of?
辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 不 (not), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶不，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「不」（横、撇、竖、点），笔画 4–6 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 还 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 还?
辶. 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 还?
Common ones are 还有 and 还是. The reading of 还 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.