迭 (dié) is a Chinese character meaning “to alternate”. It is written from 辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 失 (to lose; to miss), one enclosing the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to alternate; one after another”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
辶 + 失
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶失，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–4 位于右上，构成「失」（撇、横、横、长撇、捺）；笔画 5–7 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺，末笔横贯字底）。声符判断仅据构形位置，现代读音 失 shī 与 迭 dié 已分化
Memory aid
Both parts are really in this character: 失 (to lose) riding on the road radical 辶. One thing walks off and is lost, the next one takes its place, then the next — 迭 is things replacing each other in turn.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 迭代dié dàiiteration; to iterate迭 = dié
- 更迭gēng diéto alternate; to replace one after another迭 = dié
Go deeper
All readings
to alternate
to alternate; to take turns; one after another; repeatedly
轮流、交替；一次接一次地重复。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 迭代dié dàiiteration; to iterate迭 = dié
- 更迭gēng diéto alternate; to replace one after another迭 = dié
Sound component
失 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 迭 mean?
迭 (dié) means to alternate; to take turns; one after another; repeatedly.
How do you pronounce 迭?
It is pronounced dié.
What parts is 迭 made of?
辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 失 (to lose; to miss), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶失，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–4 位于右上，构成「失」（撇、横、横、长撇、捺）；笔画 5–7 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺，末笔横贯字底）。声符判断仅据构形位置，现代读音 失 shī 与 迭 dié 已分化. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 迭 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 迭?
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 迭?
Common ones are 迭代 and 更迭. The reading of 迭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.