裁
Character learning workspace

cái · to trim, to reduce, to cut

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 7-9Frequency #9643
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Learn every stroke in 裁

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 裁 is constructed

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

12Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Upper-right enclosureCharacter structure

Keep the outer frame stable without crowding the enclosed strokes.

衣Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 裁 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 裁

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

cáiWords pronounced cái
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Example sentences

Notice where 裁 sits in each complete thought.

Zài tā de cái pàn xià, zhēnxiàng zhōng wū dà bái.在他的裁判下,真相終於大白。

The truth finally came out at his trial.

Source: Tatoeba #340146 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tāng mǔ zuì chū shì kānmén rén, dàn xiàn zài tā shì gōng sī de zǒng cái le.汤姆最初是看门人,但现在他是公司的总裁了。

Tom started as a janitor, but he's now the president of the company.

Source: Tatoeba #8688136 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ bú shì dú cái zhě.我不是独裁者。

I'm not a dictator.

Source: Tatoeba #2777872 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā men sì hū dé zuì le cái pàn.他们似乎得罪了裁判。

They seemed to offend the referee.

Source: Tatoeba #7015501 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ bèi yāoqiú dāng zhè chǎng bǐ sài de cái pàn.我被要求當這場比賽的裁判。

I was asked to umpire the game.

Source: Tatoeba #881189 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Cái pàn chuī xiǎng le kǒu shào, pàn dìng tā shǒu qiú.裁判吹响了口哨,判定他手球。

The referee blew the whistle and called a hand ball on him.

Source: Tatoeba #3579529 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 裁 in context

  1. Say cái, then recall the core meaning: to trim, to reduce, to cut.
  2. Write all 12 strokes while keeping the upper-right enclosure balanced.
  3. Use it in 总裁 (zǒng cái), meaning “chairman”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 裁 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.