适 (shì) is a Chinese character meaning “to fit”. It is written from 辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 舌 (tongue), one enclosing the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to fit; suitable”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
辶 + 舌
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶舌，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–5 为「舌」（撇、横、竖、竖、横折、横），笔画 6–8 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺）
Memory aid
A tongue (舌) riding on the road radical 辶. Wherever the road takes you, your tongue finds the words that fit the place — that is what 适 means: to suit, to fit. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 合适hé shìsuitable; appropriate; a good fit适 = shì
- 适宜shì yísuitable; appropriate适 = shì
Go deeper
All readings
to fit; suitable
to fit; to suit; suitable; appropriate; comfortable
合乎、相称；恰好；舒服自在。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 合适hé shìsuitable; appropriate; a good fit适 = shì
- 适宜shì yísuitable; appropriate适 = shì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 适 mean?
适 (shì) means to fit; to suit; suitable; appropriate; comfortable.
How do you pronounce 适?
It is pronounced shì.
What parts is 适 made of?
辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 舌 (tongue), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶舌，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–5 为「舌」（撇、横、竖、竖、横折、横），笔画 6–8 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 适 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 适?
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 适?
Common ones are 合适 and 适宜. The reading of 适 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.