昔 (xī) - Meaning, Stroke Order, Words & Examples

Q: What does 昔 (xī) mean in Chinese?

The Chinese character 昔 (xī) means "Former / Past / Long ago". with 8 strokes and the radical 日.

Q: How do you write 昔 stroke by stroke?

昔 has 8 strokes. The radical is 日. Follow the standard stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. Practice with stroke animation to build muscle memory.

Q: What's the difference between 昔 and 旨?

昔 (xī) and 旨 look similar but differ in meaning and usage. Check the radical and stroke count to tell them apart.

Q: What mistakes do learners make writing 昔?

Common mistake: incorrect stroke order or miswriting the radical 日. Pay attention to the proportion between components — keep the radical compact.

Q: What common words use 昔?

Common words containing 昔 include: 昔日 (xī rì) — Former days / The past; 往昔 (wǎng xī) — the past; olden days; 今昔 (jīn xī) — Past and present..

How to Write 昔

The character 昔 (xī) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 日 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.

Meaning & Pronunciation

昔 is pronounced xī in Mandarin Chinese. It means Former / Past / Long ago.

Common Words with 昔

昔日 xī rì

Former days / The past

往昔 wǎng xī

the past; olden days

今昔 jīn xī

Past and present.

Example Sentences

昔日的好友重逢了。

xī rì de hǎo yǒu chóng féng le

Old friends from the past have reunited.

往昔的事情很难忘。

wǎng xī de shì qíng hěn nán wàng

Past events are hard to forget.

这里的今昔对比很大。

zhè lǐ de jīn xī duì bǐ hěn dà

There is a huge contrast between the past and the present here.

Similar Characters

旨 zhǐ

早 zǎo

旭 xù

Practice Writing 昔 (xī)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 昔

What does 昔 (xī) mean in Chinese?

How do you write 昔 stroke by stroke?

What's the difference between 昔 and 旨?

What mistakes do learners make writing 昔?

What common words use 昔?

How to Write 昔 (xī)