How to Write 题 (tí) — Meaning “topic / problem / title”

Imagine a question mark (?) sitting on a page (页) because a topic often raises questions. The left part 是 sounds like 'is' in English, so think 'Is this the topic on the page?' to tie the shape and meaning together.

Start with the left component 是, which has a tall vertical stroke and two horizontal lines inside, then write the right side 页 with a shorter top horizontal and a clear downward stroke on the last dot. A common mistake is making the left side too wide or forgetting the bottom horizontal of 是.

The key difference is the left side: 题 uses 是 (correct), while 颐 uses a different left component (related to cheek/chin) and 频 uses 步 (step). Visually, 题 has a more balanced, square shape, whereas 颐 is narrower and 频 has more strokes on the left.

题 appears in everyday words like 问题 (problem/question), 题目 (title/exam topic), and 话题 (conversation topic). It is very common in school and work contexts, such as when referring to test questions (考题) or discussion subjects (专题).

Common words containing 题 include: 问题 (wèn tí) — question / problem / issue; 题目 (tí mù) — title / subject / topic; 话题 (huà tí) — topic; subject.