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How to Write 清 (qīng) — Meaning “clear; pure; clean”

qīng HSK Level 2 11 strokes Radical: 氵

清 (qīng) means "clear; pure; clean" in Chinese. It has 11 strokes with the radical 氵, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 81% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 清楚 (qīng chǔ), 清洁 (qīng jié), 清晨 (qīng chén).

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

Stroke order practice for 清 - qīng

Practice Writing 清 (qīng)

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

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How to Write 清

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

清 means clear; pure; clean.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 清 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character清
Pinyinqīng (qing)
Meaningclear; pure; clean
Strokes11
Radical氵
HSK Level2
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 清

清 combines the water radical 氵 with 青, which originally depicted a well or a plant sprouting and later came to mean 'blue-green' as well as providing the sound qīng. Together, they evoke the image of water so pure and clear that it takes on a blue-green tint, like a pristine mountain stream.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a crystal-clear stream (氵) flowing over smooth, blue-green stones (青) where you can see every pebble on the bottom.

Common Words with 清

清楚 qīng chǔ
clear; to understand
清洁 qīng jié
clean; to clean
清晨 qīng chén
early morning

Example Sentences

我听不清楚你的声音。

wǒ tīng bù qīng chǔ nǐ de shēng yīn

I can't hear your voice clearly.

保持环境清洁很重要。

bǎo chí huán jìng qīng jié hěn zhòng yào

It is important to keep the environment clean.

我喜欢在清晨跑步。

wǒ xǐ huān zài qīng chén pǎo bù

I like running in the early morning.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
清 (current) qīng 11 氵
洁 jié 9 氵
洄 huí 9 氵
洇 yīn 9 氵
Stroke order practice for 清 - qīng

Practice Writing 清 (qīng)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 清

The left side 氵 means water, and the right side 青 contributes the sound and a sense of 'brightness' or 'clarity'. Together, they suggest clear or pure water, which is the core meaning of 清.

More HSK Level 2 Characters

啊a/ā/á/ǎ/à情qíng安ān静jìng全quán色sè/shǎi长cháng/zhǎng办bàn法fǎ公gōng室shì夜yè助zhù饱bǎo报bào纸zhǐ背bēi/bèi如rú笔bǐ必bì

Characters with Radical 氵

㳄xián氿guǐ汀tīng汁zhī汇huì汉hàn汊chà汐xī汒máng汔qì

Other 11-Stroke Characters

㒼mán䙴qiān乿zhì偃yǎn假jiǎ/jià偈jì偎wēi偏piān偕xié做zuò