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偉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
偉wěigreat, imposing; extraordinaryzg, 11 strokes, radical 亻
wěi(wei3) T3
  1. 1great, imposing; extraordinary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

偉wěi(wei3)

The character 偉 (wěi) means 'great' or 'extraordinary,' often used to describe someone or something that is impressive or has significant stature. It can be applied to achievements, personalities, or even physical structures, conveying a sense of respect and admiration.

Strokes11Radical亻
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, using the term 偉 to describe leaders or historical figures conveys respect and admiration. For instance, the term 偉人 (wěirén) refers to a 'great person' or a figure of historical significance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant figure (伟) standing tall with a cape, symbolizing greatness. The left part (亻) resembles a person, while the right part (偉) includes the character for 'great'; together, they depict a person of imposing stature, making it easier to remember that 偉 means 'great.'

Meanings of 偉

wěi(wei3)
1great, imposing; extraordinary
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 偉

偉Simplified
11Strokes
亻Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 偉

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Podcast: 偉

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AI Study Notes for 偉

Quick Contrast

伟 (wěi) vs 雄伟 (xióngwěi) — use 偉 (wěi) for general greatness, while 雄伟 (xióngwěi) emphasizes grandeur and majesty.

Usage Notes

Be aware of the tone; it should always be pronounced with a rising tone (wěi). Common mistakes include confusing it with similar-sounding words. It is often used in formal contexts, such as speeches or writing, discussing someone’s accomplishments.

HSK Study Tips

Though not in the HSK curriculum, understanding 偉 can enhance your vocabulary related to describing achievements. It connects well with words like 卓越 (zhuóyuè - outstanding) and 重大 (zhòngdà - significant) at similar levels.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 偉 (wěi) with 伟大 (wěidà) which means 'great' but emphasizes magnitude. A common mistake is to say '他是一个伟' instead of '他是一个伟人' (He is a great person).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 偉

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Etymology of 偉

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 韦 represents the sound. Simplified form of 偉.

Memory Hint

person

Semantic (meaning)亻
+
Phonetic (sound)韋
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 偉

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 韦 represents the sound. Simplified form of 偉.

  1. 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half韋 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayperson
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 偉? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 偉?

Decomposition of 偉

IDS Structure⿰亻韋
偉Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
韋wei2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 偉?

How to say great, imposing; extraordinary in Chinese

“great, imposing; extraordinary” in Chinese is偉wěi

The character 偉 (wěi) means 'great' or 'extraordinary,' often used to describe someone or something that is impressive or has significant stature. It can be applied to achievements, personalities, or even physical structures, conveying a sense of respect and admiration.

When to use 偉

Be aware of the tone; it should always be pronounced with a rising tone (wěi). Common mistakes include confusing it with similar-sounding words. It is often used in formal contexts, such as speeches or writing, discussing someone’s accomplishments.

偉 or something close to it

伟 (wěi) vs 雄伟 (xióngwěi) — use 偉 (wěi) for general greatness, while 雄伟 (xióngwěi) emphasizes grandeur and majesty.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 偉 (wěi) with 伟大 (wěidà) which means 'great' but emphasizes magnitude. A common mistake is to say '他是一个伟' instead of '他是一个伟人' (He is a great person).

Write 偉

偉

Practice writing 偉 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 偉

Words Containing This Character15
伟大wěidàhuge偉大
伟wěibig偉
宏伟hóngwěigrand宏偉
伟人great person偉人
雄伟xióngwěigrand雄偉
伟哥Viagra (male impotence drug)偉哥
伟业exploit偉業
杨利伟Yang Liwei (1965-), astronaut, first Chinese citizen in space楊利偉
丰功伟绩glorious achievement (idiom)豐功偉績
大伟David (name)大偉
伟岸imposing偉岸
伟力mighty force偉力
魁伟tall and big魁偉
伟丽magnificent偉麗
伟绩great acts偉績
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 伟大 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 偉

You can say '他是一位偉大的科學家' (Tā shì yī wèi wěidà de kēxuéjiā) meaning 'He is a great scientist.'

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