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How to Write 概 (gài) — Meaning “general; concept”

gài HSK Level 3 13 strokes Radical: 木

概 (gài) means "general; concept" in Chinese. It has 13 strokes with the radical 木, and is HSK Level 3.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 82% of HSK Level 3 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 大概 (dà gài), 概念 (gài niàn), 概括 (gài kuò).

Due to its 13 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 概 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 概 - gài

Practice Writing 概 (gài)

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How to Write 概

The character 概 (gài) is written with 13 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 木 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 gài (概) Mean in Chinese?

概 means general; concept.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 概 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character概
Pinyingài (gai)
Meaninggeneral; concept
Strokes13
Radical木
HSK Level3
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 概

The character 概 combines the radical 木 (wood) with 既, a phonetic component originally depicting a person who has finished eating, implying 'completed'. In ancient times, 概 referred to a wooden scraper used to level grain in a container, symbolizing the act of making even or summarizing, which evolved into the modern meaning of 'general' or 'concept'.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a tree (木) that has already (既) been carved into a uniform, level shape, representing the general concept of what it stands for.

Common Words with 概

大概 dà gài
Probably
概念 gài niàn
concept; idea
概括 gài kuò
to summarize; to generalize

Example Sentences

他大概明天会来。

tā dà gài míng tiān huì lái

He will probably come tomorrow.

这是一个新的概念。

zhè shì yí gè xīn de gài niàn

This is a new concept.

请简单概括一下内容。

qǐng jiǎn dān gài kuò yī xià nèi róng

Please summarize the content briefly.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
概 (current) gài 13 木
桫 suō 11 木
桲 po 11 木
桴 fú 11 木
Stroke order practice for 概 - gài

Practice Writing 概 (gài)

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Frequently Asked Questions about 概

The left side is the radical 木 (wood), and the right side is 既 (jì, already). The wood radical suggests a connection to trees or wooden objects, but in 概 it originally referred to a wooden measuring tool. Over time, the meaning expanded to 'general' or 'concept', as in taking a broad view.

More HSK Level 3 Characters

按àn把bǎ/bà握wò搬bān保bǎo持chí存cún险xiǎn证zhèng被bèi领lǐng较jiào赛sài化huà标biāo达dá格gé演yǎn并bìng播bō

Characters with Radical 木

木mù未wèi末mò本běn札zhá术shù朱zhū朴pō/pǔ朵duǒ机jī

Other 13-Stroke Characters

䧹yīng亶dǎn催cuī傺chì傻shǎ傿yàn像xiàng剽piāo剿jiǎo勤qín