Meaning
(a measure word); to support; to sustain; to erect; to raise; branch
Chinese: 支撑、分支；也作量词。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “zhi” becomes a different word in each tone. 支 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 支持zhī chíto be in favor of; to support; to back; support
- 支付zhī fùto pay (money)
- 支配zhī pèito control; to dominate; to allocate
- 支出zhī chūto spend; to pay out; expenses; expenditure
- 支票zhī piàocheck (bank); cheque
Example Sentence
请借给我一支铅笔。Qǐng jiè gěi wǒ yì zhī qiān bǐ.Please lend me a pencil.
请Qǐngto ask借给jiè gěito lend to sb我wǒI一yìone支zhīto support铅笔qiān bǐ(lead) pencil。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
A hand (又) holding up a branch (the top): to prop — ‘to support, prop up, bear; to pay out / draw (money); to dispatch, send away; a branch, offshoot; the measure word for sticks, songs, troops’ (支持, 支付, 一支).
A way to remember it
A hand holding a branch up — to support; the measure word 一支.