Hanzi Writer

How to Write 鬼 (guǐ) — Meaning “Ghost”

guǐ HSK Level 5 9 strokes Radical: 鬼

鬼 (guǐ) means "Ghost" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 鬼, and is HSK Level 5.

Rated 3.3/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 18% of HSK Level 5 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 鬼脸 (guǐ liǎn), 胆小鬼 (dǎn xiǎo guǐ), 酒鬼 (jiǔ guǐ).

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

Stroke order practice for 鬼 - guǐ

Practice Writing 鬼 (guǐ)

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

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How to Write 鬼

The character 鬼 (guǐ) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 鬼 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 guǐ (鬼) Mean in Chinese?

鬼 means Ghost.

As an HSK Level 5 character, 鬼 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character鬼
Pinyinguǐ (gui)
MeaningGhost
Strokes9
Radical鬼
HSK Level5
Difficulty3.3/5

Origin of 鬼

The character 鬼 originally depicted a ghostly figure with a large, masked head and a trailing body. In oracle bone script, it shows a person wearing a fearsome mask, representing a supernatural spirit. The modern form retains the top part resembling a strange head and the bottom suggesting legs or a tail.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a ghost with a white face (the top part 白) and two wiggly legs (the bottom 儿) sneaking around at midnight.

Common Words with 鬼

鬼脸 guǐ liǎn
Funny face
胆小鬼 dǎn xiǎo guǐ
Coward
酒鬼 jiǔ guǐ
drunkard / alcoholic

Example Sentences

弟弟对我做鬼脸。

dì di duì wǒ zuò guǐ liǎn

Little brother made a face at me.

我不是个胆小鬼。

wǒ bú shì gè dǎn xiǎo guǐ

I'm not a coward.

他是个有名的酒鬼。

tā shì gè yǒu míng de jiǔ guǐ

He is a famous drunkard.

Stroke order practice for 鬼 - guǐ

Practice Writing 鬼 (guǐ)

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

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 鬼

The character 鬼 is a pictograph of a ghost with a large head and a wavy body or tail. The radical 鬼 itself represents a supernatural being, and the strokes suggest a head, arms, and legs.

More HSK Level 5 Characters

慰wèi岸àn摩mó拔bá拜bài版bǎn扮bàn棒bàng怨yuàn悲bēi辈bèi鼻bí彼bǐ幕mù辑jí宾bīn饼bǐng毒dú玻bō璃lí

Characters with Radical 鬼

魁kuí魂hún魃bá魄pò魅mèi魆xū魇yǎn魈xiāo魉liǎng魍wǎng

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