How to Write 卡 (kǎ/qiǎ) — Meaning “card / to get stuck”

Imagine a credit card (the shape of the character) being inserted into a slot: the two vertical lines are the card's edges, the horizontal line is the slot, and the dot is the chip. This helps you remember both meanings: a 'card' and 'to get stuck'.

Start with the left vertical stroke, then the horizontal line across, then the middle vertical, then the dot inside the upper right area, and finish with the right vertical. A common mistake is placing the dot too high or forgetting it—the dot must be between the top and middle lines.

卡 has two vertical lines (left and right) forming a frame, while 卞 has only one vertical line with a dot above it. 卢 has a single vertical line and a dot inside a horizontal enclosure, but lacks the right vertical. So 卡 looks like a 'box' with a middle bar.

卡 has two pronunciations: kǎ for 'card' (e.g., 卡片, 卡通) and qiǎ for 'to get stuck' or 'checkpoint' (e.g., 关卡). You'll see it in everyday words like 信用卡 (credit card) and 卡住 (to be stuck), so context tells you which meaning to use.

Common words containing 卡 include: 卡片 (kǎ piàn) — card; 卡通 (kǎ tōng) — cartoon; 关卡 (guān qiǎ) — Checkpoint or level (in a game).