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秭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
秭zǐbillionns, 9 strokes, radical 禾
zǐ(zi3) T3
  1. 1billion
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

秭zǐ(zi3)

The character 秭 (zǐ) represents the concept of 'billion' in numerical terms. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in formal contexts such as finance, economics, or statistics when discussing large quantities or monetary values.

Strokes9Radical禾
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussions about financial figures often use precise terms like 秭, reflecting the importance placed on numerical accuracy in business and economic discussions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant tree (the radical '木') standing a billion feet tall, representing the immense value of a billion. The character's structure connects to the idea of growth and abundance, just as 'billion' signifies a vast number.

Meanings of 秭

zǐ(zi3)
1billion
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 秭

秭Simplified
9Strokes
禾Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 秭

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Podcast: 秭

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AI Study Notes for 秭

Usage Notes

While 秭 is not frequently used in spoken language, it may appear in written documents. Learners should be aware that using it in everyday conversation may seem overly formal or technical. Common collocations include phrases related to finance or large quantities.

HSK Study Tips

Although 秭 is not part of the standard HSK curriculum, understanding it can enhance comprehension of larger numerical concepts. Focus on its usage in formal contexts and its relation to other numerical characters like '万' (ten thousand) and '亿' (hundred million) for better grasp.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 秭 with 亿 (hundred million) due to their similar contexts. Remember, 秭 specifically means 'billion', so using it interchangeably with 亿 is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 秭

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Etymology of 秭

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

grain

Semantic (meaning)禾
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 秭

  1. 1The meaning half禾 carries the sense.
  2. 2The giveawaygrain
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 秭? 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 秭?

Decomposition of 秭

IDS Structure⿰禾？
秭Full Character
=
禾he2
left
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 秭?

How to say billion in Chinese

“billion” in Chinese is秭zǐ

The character 秭 (zǐ) represents the concept of 'billion' in numerical terms. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in formal contexts such as finance, economics, or statistics when discussing large quantities or monetary values.

When to use 秭

While 秭 is not frequently used in spoken language, it may appear in written documents. Learners should be aware that using it in everyday conversation may seem overly formal or technical. Common collocations include phrases related to finance or large quantities.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 秭 with 亿 (hundred million) due to their similar contexts. Remember, 秭 specifically means 'billion', so using it interchangeably with 亿 is incorrect.

Write 秭

秭

Practice writing 秭 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 秭

Words Containing This Character3
秭归Zigui county in Yichang 宜昌[Yí​chāng], Hubei秭歸
秭归县Zigui county in Yichang 宜昌[Yí​chāng], Hubei秭歸縣
秭zǐbillion
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 秭归 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 秭

No, 秭 is primarily used in formal contexts such as finance and statistics.

Jason Recommends

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