初
初 (chū) means “first (as in 初一)”. It is made of 衤 + 刀 and has 7 strokes, and is an HSK 3 word in the 2021 standard.
Break 初 into its parts
What 初 is made of
- 衤 yī — clothing
- 刀 dāo — knife
- 丿 — falling stroke
Origin hint: Cutting 刀 the cloth 衤 is the first step in making clothes (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
初 stroke order
Example sentences
今天是农历初一。Jīntiān shì nónglì chūyī.Today is the first day of the lunar month.
我们初三去看奶奶。Wǒmen chūsān qù kàn nǎinai.We will visit Grandma on the third day of the lunar month.
Words with 初
- 初步chūbùinitial
- 初级chūjíelementary
- 初中chūzhōngjunior high school
- 当初dāngchūat first
- 年初niánchūbeginning of the year
- 最初zuìchūat first
- 起初qǐchūat first
Also built with 衤
- 补bǔto mend
- 衫shānshirt
- 衬chènunderwear
- 袍páorobe
- 袖xiùsleeve
- 袜wàsocks
- 被bèiby (marks the passive)
- 袱fúapants
- 裕yùrich
- 裙qúnskirt
- 裤kùpants
Quick facts
| Pinyin | chū |
|---|---|
| Meaning | first (as in 初一); beginning; early |
| Strokes | 7 |
| Radical | 刀 (knife, #18) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 3 (2021) |
Questions about 初
What does 初 mean?
初 (chū) means “first (as in 初一); beginning; early”.
How many strokes does 初 have?
初 has 7 strokes.
What is the radical of 初?
The radical of 初 is 刀 (dāo, “knife”), Kangxi radical number 18.
What parts make up 初?
初 is made of 衤 (clothing) and 刀 (knife).
Which HSK level is 初?
初 is in HSK 3 (2021).
Learn 初 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 4: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.