Meaning
finger; to point; to direct; to indicate
Chinese: 手指；指向、指示。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “zhi” becomes a different word in each tone. 指 is the 3rd 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
- 指导zhǐ dǎoto guide; to direct; to instruct; coach
- 指出zhǐ chūto indicate; to point out
- 手指shǒu zhǐfinger
- 指挥zhǐ huīto conduct; to command; to direct; conductor (of an orchestra)
- 指示zhǐ shìto point out; to indicate; to instruct; directives
Example Sentence
他用手指了指那座山。Tā yòng shǒu zhǐ le zhǐ nà zuò shān.He pointed at that mountain with his finger.
他用Tā yòngother use手指shǒu zhǐfinger了le(completed action)指zhǐfinger那nàthat座zuòseat山shānmountain。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
The hand radical 扌 (meaning) plus 旨 (zhǐ, sound): a part of the hand — the ‘finger’; also ‘to point (at)’.
A way to remember it
Part of the hand (扌) that points — the finger.
Easy to confuse with
- 拍‘To clap’: also the hand radical 扌, but with 白 as the sound.