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How to Write 差 (chā/chà/chāi/cī) — Meaning “difference; poor; to lack”

chā/chà/chāi/cī HSK Level 1 9 strokes Radical: 工

差 (chā/chà/chāi/cī) means "difference; poor; to lack" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 工, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.5/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 78% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 5+ common words including 差别 (chā bié), 差距 (chā jù), 差劲 (chà jìn).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 差 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 差 - chā/chà/chāi/cī

Practice Writing 差 (chā/chà/chāi/cī)

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How to Write 差

The character 差 (chā/chà/chāi/cī) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 工 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does chā/chà/chāi/cī (差) Mean in Chinese?

差 means difference; poor; to lack.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: chā, chà, chāi, cī.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 差 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character差
Pinyinchā / chà / chāi / cī (cha/chai/ci)
Meaningdifference; poor; to lack
Strokes9
Radical工
HSK Level1
Difficulty3.5/5

Origin of 差

差 combines 左 (left) and 工 (work), suggesting work done with the left hand—traditionally considered less skillful—hence meanings of 'poor' quality, 'lacking' skill, and the 'difference' between left‑handed and right‑handed work.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a worker using only his left hand (左) to do a job (工); the result is so poor that everyone notices the difference.

Common Words with 差

差别 chā bié
difference
差距 chā jù
gap; disparity
差劲 chà jìn
Poor / Bad / Lousy.
出差 chū chāi
to go on a business trip
参差 cēn cī
Uneven; irregular

Example Sentences

这两款手机虽然品牌不同，但外观差别很小。

zhè liǎng kuǎn shǒu jī suī rán pǐn pái bù tóng dàn wài guān chā bié hěn xiǎo

Although these two phones are of different brands, there is very little difference in their appearance.

我们必须正视差距，努力追赶行业先进水平。

wǒ men bì xū zhèng shì chā jù nǔ lì zhuī gǎn háng yè xiān jìn shuǐ píng

We must face the gap squarely and strive to catch up with the advanced levels of the industry.

他的服务态度太差劲，遭到了许多客户的投诉。

tā de fú wù tài dù tài chà jìn zāo dào le xǔ duō kè hù de tóu sù

His service attitude was so poor that he received many complaints from customers.

经理这周去上海出差了，下周一才能回来。

jīng lǐ zhè zhōu qù shàng hǎi chū chāi le xià zhōu yī cái néng huí lái

The manager went on a business trip to Shanghai this week and won't be back until next Monday.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
差 (current) chā / chà / chāi / cī 9 工
巫 wū 7 工
Stroke order practice for 差 - chā/chà/chāi/cī

Practice Writing 差 (chā/chà/chāi/cī)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 差 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 差

差 has two main components: the top part 㐄 (a variant of 㐄 meaning 'to step forward') and the bottom part 工 (work). Together, they suggest the idea of work that is not aligned or off-step, leading to meanings like 'difference' or 'to lack'.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical 工

工gōng左zuǒ巧qiǎo巨jù巩gǒng巫wū巯qiú

Other 9-Stroke Characters

㒸suì㲋chuò㿽xī临lín举jǔ乹gān/qián亭tíng亮liàng亲qīn/qìng侮wǔ