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姿 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
姿zībeautyn, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #10773, Very Hard
姿zīdispositionn, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #10773, Very Hard
姿zīlooksn, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #10773, Very Hard
姿zīappearancen, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #10773, Very Hard
姿zīgrace, good looks; bearing, poise, posturen, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #10773, Very Hard
zī(zi1)zi T1
  1. 1beauty
  2. 2disposition
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

姿zī(zi1)

The character 姿 (zī) refers to beauty, grace, and appearance, particularly in the context of physical looks or poise. It is often used to describe someone's demeanor or the elegance of their posture. In various contexts, it can also relate to the aesthetic quality of objects or art.

Strokes9Radical女Frequency#10773DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of 姿 is significant, as beauty and grace are often associated with virtues and social status. It plays a role in art and poetry, where the depiction of beauty is celebrated.

Memory tip

Imagine a graceful dancer striking a pose, her 姿 (zī) radiating beauty and elegance. The radical 女 (nǚ) meaning 'female' is present in this character, emphasizing the connection to beauty and feminine grace.

Meanings of 姿

zī(zi1)
1beauty
2disposition
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 姿 means.

About 姿

姿Simplified
9Strokes
女Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#10773Frequency Rank

Podcast: 姿

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Podcast: 姿

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AI study notes for 姿

Quick Contrast

姿态 (zītài) refers specifically to posture or stance, while 姿 (zī) emphasizes beauty and grace in appearance.

Usage Notes

While 姿 can refer to beauty, it is often used in more formal or literary contexts. Common collocations include '姿势' (zīshì, posture) and '姿态' (zītài, attitude). Be careful with the tone; 'zī' has a high-level tone which can be mistaken with 'zī' in another context.

HSK Study Tips

Though not included in the HSK levels, 姿 can be associated with other vocabulary related to appearance and behavior. Students should focus on its usage in phrases and expressions to understand its nuances better.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 姿 with similar-sounding characters like 知 (zhī, to know) due to their tonal similarities; ensure you practice the tone. A common mistake is saying '他的姿' which should be '他的姿态' (tā de zītài, his attitude).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 姿

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Etymology of 姿

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

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 次 represents the sound.

Memory hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)女
+
Phonetic (sound)次
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

姿 = 女 + 次. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 姿

IDS Structure⿱次女
姿Full character
=
次ci4
top
女nü3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 姿?

How to say beauty in Chinese

“beauty” in Chinese is姿zī

The character 姿 (zī) refers to beauty, grace, and appearance, particularly in the context of physical looks or poise. It is often used to describe someone's demeanor or the elegance of their posture. In various contexts, it can also relate to the aesthetic quality of objects or art.

When to use 姿

While 姿 can refer to beauty, it is often used in more formal or literary contexts. Common collocations include '姿势' (zīshì, posture) and '姿态' (zītài, attitude). Be careful with the tone; 'zī' has a high-level tone which can be mistaken with 'zī' in another context.

姿 or something close to it

姿态 (zītài) refers specifically to posture or stance, while 姿 (zī) emphasizes beauty and grace in appearance.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 姿 with similar-sounding characters like 知 (zhī, to know) due to their tonal similarities; ensure you practice the tone. A common mistake is saying '他的姿' which should be '他的姿态' (tā de zītài, his attitude).

Write 姿

姿

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar patterns of 姿

姿 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

我努力保持蜷曲的____势以免四肢受伤。

I tried to adopt a curled-up position to avoid damaging my limbs.

Common confusions with 姿

姿vs资
zī

Same pronunciation as '姿' but different meaning.

Exercise 1 of 1

Which one

Which one means “beauty”?

or

Usage Notes for 姿

Misunderstanding ContextCommon Error

The character '姿' is often used in contexts relating to beauty or appearance, and should not be confused with '资', which relates to resources.

1

她的姿态优雅。

Her posture is graceful.

Exercise 1 of 1

Get it right

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

她的____态优雅。

Her posture is graceful.

Example sentences for 姿 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我努力保持蜷曲的姿势以免四肢受伤。

wǒ nǔlì bǎochí quán qǔ de zīshì yǐmiǎn sìzhī shòushāng。

I tried to adopt a curled-up position to avoid damaging my limbs.
2
不良姿势一旦定型,日后可就有你受的了。

bùliáng zīshì yídàn dìng xíng, rìhòu kě jiù yǒu nǐ shòu de le。

If bad posture becomes habitual, you risk long-term effects.
3
运动员昂首阔步,摆好姿势让记者拍照。

yùndòngyuán áng shǒu kuò bù, bǎi hǎo zīshì ràng jìzhě pāizhào。

The players strutted and posed for the cameras.
4
善于倾听的人甚至坐姿也很坦荡端正:身体放松,双臂自然下垂。

shànyú qīngtīng de rén shènzhì zuò zī yě hěn tǎn dàng duānzhèng: shēntǐ fàngsōng, shuāng bì zìrán xià chuí。

Good listeners even sit in an open way: relaxed, arms loose.
5
他以胜利者之姿进入了那座城市。

tā yǐ shènglì zhě zhī zī jìnrù le nà zuò chéngshì。

He made a triumphal entry into the city.
6
坐着或者走路的时候低头垂肩,这种不正确的姿势会压迫体内的器官。

zuò zhe huòzhě zǒulù de shíhou dītóu chuí jiān, zhè zhǒng bù zhèngquè de zīshì huì yāpò tǐ nèi de qìguān。

Poor posture, sitting or walking slouched over, compresses the body's organs.
7
你想了什么办法让他摆姿势照了这张照片?

nǐ xiǎng le shénme bànfǎ ràng tā bǎi zīshì zhào le zhè zhāng zhàopiàn?

How did you get him to pose for this picture?
8
她低头的姿势让人想起皇室风范。

tā dītóu de zīshì ràng rén xiǎngqǐ huángshì fēngfàn。

She bowed her head in a gesture somehow reminiscent of royalty.
9
通过采取更好的坐姿,你的腹部马上就会看起来平坦一些。

tōngguò cǎiqǔ gènghǎo de zuò zī, nǐ de fùbù mǎshàng jiù huì kànqǐlai píngtǎn yìxiē。

You can make your stomach look flatter instantly by improving your posture.
10
她一下子摆出一副筋疲力尽的夸张姿势。

tā yīxiàzi bǎi chū yī fù jīn pí lì jìn de kuāzhāng zīshì。

She'd flung herself in a pose of melodramatic exhaustion.

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Word Family of 姿

Words containing this character17
姿势zīshìposture姿勢
姿态zītàiattitude姿態
姿zībeauty
舞姿wǔzīdancer's posture and movement
多姿多彩duōzīduōcǎidiversity (of forms and colors)
姿色zīsègood looks (of a woman)
孙燕姿sūnyànzīStefanie Sun (1978-), Singaporean singer-songwriter孫燕姿
多姿duōzīmany postures
风姿fēngzīgood looks風姿
千姿百态qiānzī-bǎitàiin thousands of postures (idiom)千姿百態
搔首弄姿sāoshǒunòngzīto stroke one's hair coquettishly (idiom)
英姿飒爽yīngzīsàshuǎngto carry oneself tall英姿颯爽
姿容zīrónglooks
丰姿fēngzīcharm
风姿绰约fēngzīchuòyuēgraceful風姿綽約
多彩多姿duōcǎiduōzīelegant and graceful posture
故作姿态gùzuòzītàito put on an act故作姿態
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 姿

What does 姿势 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 姿

You can use 姿 in a sentence like '她的姿态很优雅' (Tā de zītài hěn yōuyǎ), meaning 'Her posture is very elegant.'

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