mostly supplies the sound in the zǔ/jǔ/jū/cū family of characters · Character component

mostly supplies the sound in the zǔ/jǔ/jū/cū family of characters, and in a few carries the old sense of an offering stand for ancestral sacrifice

The old graph shows a tall, narrow object with stacked lines across it standing on a base — usually explained as a sacrificial stand or ancestral tablet piled with offerings, though other readings of the picture have been proposed and the original object is not settled. The modern 且 keeps that shape plainly: a rectangle with two crossbars inside, sitting on a horizontal foot. You can see the stand itself again in 俎 (a sacrifice stand) and the ancestor worship sense in 祖, where the altar sign 礻 is added. In most other characters — 姐, 助, 阻, 蛆, 粗, 狙 — it is there for sound only, so read it as a pronunciation clue rather than a meaning clue.

且 at a glance

Meaning
mostly supplies the sound in the zǔ/jǔ/jū/cū family of characters
Strokes
5
Characters
29
Role
Contributes sound

Characters with 且 (24 of 29)

HSK 1 · 2

HSK 2 · 2

HSK 4 · 2

HSK 5 · 3

HSK 6 · 2

Beyond HSK · 13

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 且 mean?

且 means "mostly supplies the sound in the zǔ/jǔ/jū/cū family of characters". In the characters that contain it, it contributes sound.

How many Chinese characters contain 且?

29 characters in this dictionary contain 且, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.

How many strokes does 且 have?

且 is written in 5 strokes.