How to Write 支 (zhī) — Meaning “to support; to pay; (measure word for pens)”

Imagine holding a ten-dollar bill (十) in your hand (又) to pay (支付) for something. The ten and hand combine to remind you of both the shape and the meaning. Another trick: think of a pen (一支笔) as a stick (支) you hold in your hand.

Write the top horizontal first, then the vertical stroke crossing it, then a short horizontal below, and finally a right-falling stroke. A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide or writing the vertical stroke too short, which can make it look unbalanced. Keep the strokes compact and the proportions similar to the radical form.

支持 (zhī chí) means 'to support' and is used in contexts like backing an idea or a person. 支付 (zhī fù) means 'to pay' and appears in financial transactions, such as paying a bill online. 一支笔 (yī zhī bǐ) uses 支 as a measure word for long objects like pens, so you say 'one pen' with this character.

支 is very common in formal and informal contexts, especially in verbs for support and payment, and as a measure word for stick-like objects like pens. Culturally, it appears in important terms like 支援 (supporting aid) and 支票 (check or cheque) in banking. Its use as a measure word is unique to thin, long items, so you cannot use it for flat objects like paper.

Common words containing 支 include: 支持 (zhī chí) — to support; to back; 支付 (zhī fù) — to pay; 一支笔 (yī zhī bǐ) — a pen.