How to Write 入 (rù) — Meaning “to enter / to join”

Imagine the character 入 as two legs stepping through a doorway – the left stroke is the body leaning forward and the right stroke is the lifted leg. This visual reminds you that 入 means 'to enter'.

Write the left-falling stroke (piě) first, then the right-falling stroke (nà). Make sure the two strokes meet at the top but do not cross, and keep the shape narrow – not too wide like an open V. A common mistake is writing the second stroke too long or making the character look like a 'V'.

入 has no outer frame – it's just two strokes opening downward. In contrast, 内 contains 入 inside a square enclosure (冂), so it looks like 'inside a box'. Meaning-wise, 入 is a verb meaning 'to enter', while 内 is a noun meaning 'inside' or 'within'.

入 appears in everyday words like 入口 (entrance) and 进入 (to go into). It is also used for joining something, as in 入学 (to start school) or 加入 (to join a group). On signs, 入 marks an entrance, while 出 (exit) marks the way out.

Common words containing 入 include: 入口 (rù kǒu) — entrance / entry; 进入 (jìn rù) — To enter / To go into; 入学 (rù xué) — to start school / enrollment.