How to Write 戚 (qī) — Meaning “Relative; sorrow; also an ancient battle-axe.”

Q: How can I remember the character 戚 easily?

Imagine a relative (亲戚) feeling sorrow (忧戚) while holding a battle-axe (戈). The right side 尗 looks like a small upside-down "up" over "small," which you can picture as tears falling down a sad face.

Q: What should I watch out for when writing 戚?

Make sure the left radical 戈 has a slanting hook (斜钩) that curves down and to the right, not a straight hook like in 弋. On the right side, the bottom part is 小 with a vertical hook and two dots, so don't write it as three separate strokes.

Q: How is 戚 different from 威 and 战?

戚 has 尗 on the right and relates to relatives or sorrow. 威 has 女 (woman) at the bottom and means power or majesty. 战 has 占 (divine) on the left and means war. Visually, remember that 戚's right part looks like 上 over 小.

Q: Where do I see 戚 used in modern Chinese?

戚 appears in common words like 亲戚 (qīn qi, relatives) and 忧戚 (yōu qī, sorrowful). It is also a Chinese surname. You will hear 亲戚 often in daily conversations about family members.

Q: What common words use 戚?

Common words containing 戚 include: 亲戚 (qīn qī) — relative; family member; 戚友 (qī yǒu) — Relatives and friends.; 忧戚 (yōu qī) — Sorrowful; distressed.

qī HSK Level 7 11 strokes Radical: 戈

戚 (qī) means "Relative; sorrow; also an ancient battle-axe." in Chinese. It has 11 strokes with the radical 戈, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 3.9/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 36% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 亲戚 (qīn qī), 戚友 (qī yǒu), 忧戚 (yōu qī).

Due to its 11 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 戚 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 戚 (qī)

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How to Write 戚

The character 戚 (qī) is written with 11 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 戈 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 qī (戚) Mean in Chinese?

戚 means Relative; sorrow; also an ancient battle-axe..

As an HSK Level 7 character, 戚 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character	戚
Pinyin	qī (qi)
Meaning	Relative; sorrow; also an ancient battle-axe.
Strokes	11
Radical	戈
HSK Level	7
Difficulty	3.9/5

Origin of 戚

戚 combines the radical 戈 (dagger-axe) with the phonetic component 尗 (shú, originally a pictograph of a foot or beans). Its original meaning was a type of ancient battle-axe; later, it was borrowed phonetically to mean 'relative' and extended to mean 'sorrow' (perhaps from grief over a relative lost in war).

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a sad relative (戚) clutching a long-handled axe (戈) made of two legs (尗 like a walking stick) while mourning a fallen clan member.

Common Words with 戚

亲戚 qīn qī

relative; family member

戚友 qī yǒu

Relatives and friends.

忧戚 yōu qī

Sorrowful; distressed

Example Sentences

他有很多亲戚。

tā yǒu hěn duō qīn qī

He has many relatives.

他去拜访戚友了。

tā qù bài fǎng qī yǒu le

He went to visit relatives and friends.

脸上带着忧戚。

liǎn shàng dài zhe yōu qī

There is a look of sorrow on the face.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
戚 (current)	qī	11	戈
威	wēi	9	戈
战	zhàn	9	戈
戛	jiá	11	戈

Practice Writing 戚 (qī)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 戚

What are the components of 戚 and how do they relate to its meaning?

戚 consists of the radical 戈 (spear or battle-axe) on the left and the phonetic component 尗 on the right. The 戈 indicates the original meaning of a weapon, while today 戚 is most often used to mean "relative" or "sorrowful."

How can I remember the character 戚 easily?

What should I watch out for when writing 戚?

How is 戚 different from 威 and 战?

Where do I see 戚 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 戚?

How to Write 戚 (qī) — Meaning “Relative; sorrow; also an ancient battle-axe.”

Practice Writing 戚 (qī)

How to Write 戚

What Does qī (戚) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 戚

Common Words with 戚

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 戚 (qī)

Frequently Asked Questions about 戚

More HSK Level 7 Characters

Characters with Radical 戈

Other 11-Stroke Characters