How to Write 址 (zhǐ) — Meaning “Site / Address / Location”

Imagine stopping (止) at a spot on the earth (土) to check your address. This visual of standing on the ground and looking up a location helps link the character to its meaning. You can also think of "stop" + "earth" = the place you stop at.

Write the left radical 土 first, making it narrow and slightly shorter than the right side. Then write 止, starting with the top vertical line, then the horizontal, and finally the left and right strokes — be careful not to make the top of 止 too wide. A common mistake is writing the right side too big; the overall character should be balanced left to right.

址 has 土 on the left and 止 on the right, meaning "address." 圣 (shèng) has 又 (hand) above 土 and means "holy" or "sacred." 圤 (pǔ) is very rare and is an ancient character for a type of earthen jar; its right side is 卜 (divination) instead of 止. The key visual difference is the right side component: 止 vs. 又 vs. 卜.

址 appears in common words like 地址 (dìzhǐ, address), 网址 (wǎngzhǐ, website address), and 遗址 (yízhǐ, ruins/historical site). It is essential for giving location information, both physical and digital. Culturally, 遗址 is often used for archaeological sites in China, such as the Terracotta Army ruins.

Common words containing 址 include: 地址 (dì zhǐ) — Address; 网址 (wǎng zhǐ) — Website address; 遗址 (yí zhǐ) — Ruins; historical site.