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How to write 条 (tiáo, “clause”)

条 (tiáo), an HSK 1 character, means “clause”, “strip” and “item”. The traditional form is 條, 11 strokes instead of 7. On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 条件 (“condition”), 油条 (“youtiao”) and 头条 (“lead story (on the news)”). Japanese reads it jou, “article”, as a JLPT N1 kanji.

Pinyin
tiáo
Strokes
7
HSK
1
Radical
木 (“tree”)
Traditional
條

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7

As a top-bottom character it splits into 夂 (“go slowly”), strokes 1–3; 木 (“tree”, the radical), strokes 4–7, written the top first.

  1. topdown and left
  2. toprightwards → down and left
  3. top leftrightwards
  4. leftrightwards
  5. centerdownwards → leftwards
  6. bottom leftdown and left
  7. bottomdown and right

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (7 strokes in Japanese, 7 strokes in Chinese).

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Japanese · KanjiVG · 7 strokes
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Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 7 strokes

Traditional form

Simplified
条 · 7 strokes
Traditional
條 · 11 strokes · see its strokes

Simplified vs traditional

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

PinyinMeaningsTraditionalIn words
tiáo
second tone		clause (of law or treaty); strip; item; article; classifier for long thin things (ribbon, river, road, trousers etc)條条件 油条 头条 教条
HSK 2025 syllabus
level 1
2021 standard
level 1
HSK 2.0
in a level 3 word
Words with it
162 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 条

WordPinyinMeaning
条 條tiáostrip; item HSK 2
条件 條件tiáojiàncondition; circumstance HSK 4
油条 油條yóutiáoyoutiao (deep-fried breadstick); slick and sly person HSK 5
头条 頭條tóutiáolead story (on the news) HSK 7-9
教条 教條jiàotiáodoctrine; dogma HSK 7-9
借条 借條jiètiáoreceipt for a loan; IOU HSK 7-9
条理 條理tiáolǐarrangement; order HSK 7-9
条例 條例tiáolìregulations; rules HSK 7-9
条约 條約tiáoyuētreaty; pact HSK 7-9
线条 線條xiàntiáoline; the lines or contours of a three-dimensional object… HSK 7-9

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.

Keep going

HSK 1, in list order: