How to write 椅 (yǐ, “chair”)

椅 (yǐ), an HSK 1 character, means “chair”. It is HSK 1 in the 2025 syllabus, down from level 2 in the 2021 standard. It pairs a meaning part, 木 (“tree”), with a sound part, 奇 (“strange”). It is part of the HSK word 椅子 (“chair”), and of 坐椅 (“seat”) and 电椅 (“electric chair”). Japanese reads it i, “chair”.

Pinyin: yǐ
Strokes: 12
HSK: 1
Radical: 木 (“tree”)

Stroke by stroke

As a left-right character it splits into 木 (“tree”, the radical), strokes 1–4; 奇 (“strange”), strokes 5–12, written the left part first.

Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
Left-falling stroke ㇒leftdown and left
Dot ㇔leftdown and right
Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left
Dot ㇔topdown and right
Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
Horizontal-turn ㇕centerrightwards → down and left
Horizontal ㇐bottomrightwards
Vertical hook ㇚rightdownwards → leftwards

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

Japanese and Chinese draw all 12 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.

Japanese · KanjiVG · 12 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 12 strokes

Where 椅 comes from

wood

Meaning part: 木 (“tree”)
Sound part: 奇 (“strange”)

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

Pinyin	Meanings	Traditional	In words
yǐ third tone	chair	—	椅子轮椅坐椅电椅

HSK 2025 syllabus: level 1
2021 standard: level 2
HSK 2.0: in a level 1 word
Words with it: 26 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 椅

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
椅子	yǐzi	chair HSK 1
轮椅輪椅	lúnyǐ	wheelchair HSK 6
坐椅	zuòyǐ	seat; chair
电椅電椅	diànyǐ	electric chair (used to execute criminals)
睡椅	shuìyǐ	couch
交椅	jiāoyǐ	old-style wooden folding armchair, typically featuring a footrest…
长椅長椅	chángyǐ	bench
角椅	jiǎoyǐ	chair designed to fit in corner of a room
安乐椅安樂椅	ānlèyǐ	comfortable armchair; easy chair
高脚椅高腳椅	gāojiǎoyǐ	tall chair; bar stool

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

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Keep going

HSK 1, in list order: