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How to Write 枕 (zhěn) — Meaning “pillow; to rest one's head on”

zhěn HSK Level 7 8 strokes Radical: 木

枕 (zhěn) means "pillow; to rest one's head on" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 木, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 27% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 枕头 (zhěn tou), 枕巾 (zhěn jīn), 枕边 (zhěn biān).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 枕 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 枕 - zhěn

Practice Writing 枕 (zhěn)

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How to Write 枕

The character 枕 (zhěn) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 木 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 zhěn (枕) Mean in Chinese?

枕 means pillow; to rest one's head on.

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

Character Data

Character枕
Pinyinzhěn (zhen)
Meaningpillow; to rest one's head on
Strokes8
Radical木
HSK Level7
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 枕

The character 枕 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 木 (wood/tree) indicates that ancient pillows were often made of wood or had a wooden frame, while the component 冘 (yín) provides a phonetic clue. Early Chinese pillows were hard, solid blocks, hence the wood radical, and the right side visually suggests a person reclining or carrying something, reinforcing the idea of resting one's head.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a wooden (木) pillow shaped like a sleeping person (冘) with their head tilted back, snoring soundly.

Common Words with 枕

枕头 zhěn tou
pillow
枕巾 zhěn jīn
pillow towel; pillow cover
枕边 zhěn biān
bedside; by the pillow

Example Sentences

这个枕头很舒服。

zhè ge zhěn tou hěn shū fú

This pillow is very comfortable.

我买了一条新枕巾。

wǒ mǎi le yī tiáo xīn zhěn jīn

I bought a new pillow towel.

书就在他的枕边。

shū jiù zài tā de zhěn biān

The book is right by his pillow.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
枕 (current) zhěn 8 木
朱 zhū 6 木
朴 pō / pǔ 6 木
朵 duǒ 6 木
Stroke order practice for 枕 - zhěn

Practice Writing 枕 (zhěn)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 枕

枕 is a left-right character. The left component 木 (wood/tree) hints that pillows were traditionally made of wood or wood-based materials. The right part 冘 (yín, not a common character) provides the sound zhěn.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 木

木mù未wèi末mò本běn札zhá术shù朱zhū朴pō/pǔ朵duǒ机jī

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng