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韦 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
wéitanned leather; surnamenr, 4 strokes, radical 韦, rank #12211, Hard
wéisurname Weiunknown, 4 strokes, radical 韦, rank #12211, Hard
wéi(Wei2) T2
  1. 1tanned leather; surname
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(韋)wéi(Wei2)

The character 韦 (wéi) primarily refers to tanned leather, often used in the context of traditional crafts and textiles. Additionally, it serves as a surname in Chinese culture, which is relatively common. In various contexts, it can symbolize strength and durability, reflecting the properties of leather.

Strokes4RadicalFrequency#12211DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, leather was an essential material for various crafts, such as making shoes and armor, highlighting the importance of the character 韦 in historical contexts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong warrior wearing armor made from tanned leather. The character 韦 resembles a protective shield, and the 'w' sound in 'weigh' relates to the weight of the leather, helping you remember its meaning.

Meanings of 韦

wéi(Wei2)
1tanned leather; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 韦

Simplified
Traditional
4Strokes
Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 韦

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AI Study Notes for 韦

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a strong warrior wearing armor made from tanned leather. The character 韦 resembles a protective shield, and the 'w' sound in 'weigh' relates to the weight of the leather, helping you remember its meaning.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 韦 with similar-sounding characters. It's important to note that while it can refer to leather, its usage as a surname is quite distinct and may appear in different contexts. Be mindful of the tone as the second tone can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Although 韦 is not listed in the HSK levels, it can be connected to other commonly used characters related to materials and textiles. Focus on recognizing it in surnames and its association with leather products.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, leather was an essential material for various crafts, such as making shoes and armor, highlighting the importance of the character 韦 in historical contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 韦 with other characters like 尾 (wěi, tail) or 圭 (guī, jade tablet). Always double-check the pronunciation and context to avoid misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 韦

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Etymology of 韦

Explanation

Simplified form of 韋. Pictograph of two feet walking around city walls. The character is based on the original meaning "to surround", which is unrelated to the modern meaning.

Learn more about character formation (六书)
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 韦?

Decomposition of 韦

IDS Structure⿻三丨
Full Character
=
San1
outer
gun3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 韦?

Write 韦

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

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Grammar Patterns of 韦

韦 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 2 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

Complete the Sentence

球一下子漏了,使得霍洛____跑垒成功。

The ball was bobbled momentarily, allowing Holloway to race home.

Example Sentences for 韦 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
球一下子漏了,使得霍洛韦跑垒成功。

qiú yī xià zǐ lòu le, , shǐ dé huò luò wéi pǎo lěi chéng。

The ball was bobbled momentarily, allowing Holloway to race home.
2
韦尔因为一次打高尔夫时发生的离奇事故折断了腿。

wéi ěr yīn wéi yī cì dǎ gāo ěr fū shí fā shēng de lí qí shì gù zhē duàn le tuǐ。

Weir broke his leg in a freak accident playing golf.
3
他是韦灵伯勒万圣教堂的教区长。

tā shì wéi líng bó lè wàn shèng jiào táng de jiào qū cháng。

He was rector of All Hallows Church in Wellingborough.
4
昨天在戈尔韦任命了一位新的天主教主教。

zuó tiān zài gē ěr wéi rèn mìng le yī wèi xīn de tiān zhǔ jiào zhǔ jiào。

A new Catholic bishop was installed in Galway yesterday.
5
里韦罗警官说因为沿街乞讨而被捕的事情每天都有。

lǐ wéi luó jǐng guān shuō yīn wéi yán jiē qǐ tǎo ér bèi bǔ de shì qíng měi tiān dū yǒu。

Sergeant Rivero says arrests for panhandling take place every day.
6
他从韦丁顿打电话过来时已在那儿呆了整整31个小时了。

tā cóng wéi dīng dùn dǎ diàn huà guò lái shí yǐ zài nà ér dāi le zhěng zhěng31 31 gè xiǎo shí。

He called from Weddington, having been there for 31 hours straight.
7
克劳利连珠炮似的对韦特骂个不停。

kè láo lì lián zhū páo sì de duì wéi tè mà gè bù tíng。

Crowley maintained a stream of invective and abuse against Waite.
8
普里莫·德里韦拉本人是个仁慈而真诚的家长式人物。

pǔ lǐ mò· · dé lǐ wéi lā běn rén shì gè rén cí ér zhēn chéng de jiā cháng shì rén。

Primo de Rivera himself was a benevolent and sincere paternalist.
9
韦德是个精力充沛、率直、运动型的人。

wéi dé shì gè jīng lì chōng pèi、 、 shuài、 zhí 、 yùn dòng xíng。

Wade was a hearty, bluff, athletic sort of guy.
10
负责寻找志愿者的人是查尔斯·韦伯博士。

fù zé xún zhǎo zhì yuàn zhě de rén shì chá ěr sī· · wéi bó bó。

The man responsible for finding the volunteers is Dr. Charles Weber.

Cultural Notes for 韦

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, leather was an essential material for various crafts, such as making shoes and armor, highlighting the importance of the character 韦 in historical contexts.

Word Family of 韦

Words Containing This Character9
wéisurname Wei
韦德Wade (name)韋德
韦伯Webb, Webber or Weber (name)韋伯
查韦斯Chavez, Spanish name查韋斯
津巴布韦Zimbabwe津巴布韋
吕不韦Lü Buwei (?291-235 BC), merchant and politician of the State of Qin 秦國|秦国[Qín​guó], subsequent Qin Dynasty 秦代[Qín​dài] Chancellor, allegedly the father of Ying Zheng 嬴政[Yíng​Zhèng], who subsequently became the first emperor Qin Shihuang 秦始皇[Qín​Shǐ​huáng]呂不韋
梅德韦杰夫Medvedyev (name)梅德韋傑夫
韦利Waley or Whaley (name)韋利
麦克斯韦Maxwell (name)麥克斯韋
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 韦 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 韦

韦 means tanned leather and can also be used as a surname in Chinese.