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March 24, 2026
贴(貼)tiē(tie1)
The character 贴 (tiē) primarily means 'to stick' or 'to paste,' and is commonly used in contexts where items are affixed to surfaces, like stickers on paper or images on a blog. It can also refer to keeping something close or snug, as well as financial allowances or subsidies for necessities like food or housing.
Strokes9Radical贝Frequency#2261DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
贴 is often associated with the practice of putting up posters during festivals or events in China, reflecting the importance of community announcements in Chinese culture.
Memory Tip
Imagine a sticker (贴) of a cozy blanket sticking snugly (tiē) against a cold wall, symbolizing warmth and closeness. The character features the radical for 'stick' (the left side) that visually represents the action of attaching something.
Meanings of 贴
tiē(tie1)
1to stick
2to paste
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 贴
贴Simplified
貼Traditional
9Strokes
贝Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#2261Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2BCT✓CEFRB1
Podcast: 贴
Podcast: 贴
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AI Study Notes for 贴
Quick Contrast
贴 (tiē) vs 粘 (zhān) — choose 贴 for contexts involving sticking or pasting items flat against a surface, while 粘 emphasizes the property of being sticky or adhesive.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 贴 with similar verbs like 放 (fàng, to put) and 借 (jiè, to borrow). This word is generally informal, so it’s best used in everyday conversation rather than formal writing. Watch out for tonal mistakes; ensure you use the first tone correctly.
HSK Study Tips
Though 贴 is not in the official HSK lists, it connects well with other common verbs related to actions (like 放, to put) and nouns (like 贴纸, sticker). Focus on practicing its use in sentences that describe everyday actions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 贴 with 贴近 (tiējìn, to be close to) or use it incorrectly in formal contexts. For example, saying '我贴了这个' (wǒ tiē le zhège, I pasted this) is correct in casual conversation but may sound awkward in formal writing.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 贴
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Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 貼.
1The meaning half贝 carries the sense.
2The sound half占 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaymoney
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 贴? 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 贴?
Decomposition of 贴
IDS Structure⿰贝占
贴Full Character
=
贝Bei4
left
占zhan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 贴?
How to say to stick in Chinese
“to stick” in Chinese is贴tiē
The character 贴 (tiē) primarily means 'to stick' or 'to paste,' and is commonly used in contexts where items are affixed to surfaces, like stickers on paper or images on a blog. It can also refer to keeping something close or snug, as well as financial allowances or subsidies for necessities like food or housing.
When to use 贴
Common mistakes include confusing 贴 with similar verbs like 放 (fàng, to put) and 借 (jiè, to borrow). This word is generally informal, so it’s best used in everyday conversation rather than formal writing. Watch out for tonal mistakes; ensure you use the first tone correctly.
贴 or something close to it
贴 (tiē) vs 粘 (zhān) — choose 贴 for contexts involving sticking or pasting items flat against a surface, while 粘 emphasizes the property of being sticky or adhesive.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 贴 with 贴近 (tiējìn, to be close to) or use it incorrectly in formal contexts. For example, saying '我贴了这个' (wǒ tiē le zhège, I pasted this) is correct in casual conversation but may sound awkward in formal writing.
Write 贴
贴
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Practice writing 贴 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 贴
贴 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.
