How to write 以 (yǐ, “to use”)
以 (yǐ), an HSK 1 character, means “to use”, “by means of” and “according to”. It is HSK 1 in the 2025 syllabus, down from level 2 in the 2021 standard. The Chinese data draws 4 strokes, the Japanese data 5 strokes. Dictionaries list it under the radical 人 (“person”). On its own it is an HSK 5 word; it also forms 可以 (“can”), 所以 (“therefore”) and 以上 (“that level or higher”). Japanese reads it i, “by means of”, as a JLPT N4 kanji.
- Pinyin
- yǐ
- Strokes
- 4
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 人 (“person”)
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- top leftdownwards → up and right
- topdown and right
- top rightdown and left
- rightdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
KanjiVG draws it with 5 strokes and Make Me a Hanzi with 4 strokes. The reference lists do not confirm both counts, so this can be a convention of the two data sets rather than a difference in how it is taught.
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Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| yǐ third tone | to use; by means of; according to; in order to; because of | — | 可以 所以 以上 以下 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 2
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 2 word
- Words with it
- 191 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 以
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以 | yǐ | to use; by means of HSK 5 |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can; may HSK 1 |
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | therefore; as a result HSK 2 |
| 以上 | yǐshàng | that level or higher; that amount or more HSK 3 |
| 以下 | yǐxià | that level or lower; that amount or less HSK 3 |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before; formerly HSK 3 |
| 以后 以後 | yǐhòu | after; later HSK 3 |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than HSK 3 |
| 以为 以為 | yǐwéi | to think; to believe… HSK 3 |
| 以内 以內 | yǐnèi | within; less than HSK 4 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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HSK 1, in list order: