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贴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
贴tiēto stickHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēto pasteHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēto post (e.g. on a blog)HSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēto keep close toHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēto fit snuglyHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēto subsidizeHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēallowance (e.g. money for food or housing)HSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēstickerHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēclassifier for sticking plaster: stripHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
贴tiēto stick, to paste; attached; allowance, subsidyHSK 5, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #2261, Medium
tiē(tie1) T1
  1. 1to stick
  2. 2to paste
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
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#2261DifficultyMedium
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

JasonAmy

Podcast: 贴

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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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Etymology of 贴

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

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 貼.

Memory Hint

money

Semantic (meaning)贝
+
Phonetic (sound)占
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
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?

Write 贴

贴

Practice writing 贴 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 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.

Related grammar lessons3
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

...

这是我贴的海报。

Zhè shì wǒ tiē de hǎibào.

This is the poster I stuck up.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

门上____着一个"福"字。

A "fu" (blessing) character is posted on the door.

Common Confusions with 贴

贴 focuses on the action of sticking, while 黏 emphasizes being sticky or adhesive.

1

这个胶水很黏。(This glue is very sticky.)

贴 focuses on the action of sticking, while 黏 emphasizes being sticky or adhesive.

💡Think of 贴 as the action and 黏 as the quality.

Usage Notes for 贴

Using 贴 in sentencesGrammar Tip

贴 can be used with different objects to indicate what is being stuck or pasted.

1

我贴了一个标签在箱子上。

I stuck a label on the box.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

我____了一个标签在箱子上。

I stuck a label on the box.

Example Sentences for 贴 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
非常感谢您的体贴入微，我真的无以言表。

fēi cháng gǎn xiè nín de tǐ tiē rù wēi， ， wǒ zhēn de wú yǐ yán。

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness.
2
这是免费邮寄，不用贴邮票。

zhè shì miǎn fèi yóu jì， ， bù yòng tiē yóu。

It's FREEPOST, so there's no need for a stamp.
3
我们张贴了一份房屋生活守则。

wǒ mén zhāng tiē le yī fèn fáng wū shēng huó shǒu zé。

We post up a set of rules for the house.
4
西蒙拨完号，把听筒贴在耳边。

xī mēng bō wán hào， ， bǎ tīng tǒng tiē zài ěr。

Simon finished dialing and clamped the phone to his ear.
5
鸟儿们紧贴在墙上，啄着砖缝。

niǎo ér mén jǐn tiē zài qiáng shàng， ， zhuó zháo zhuān。

The birds cling to the wall and nibble at the brickwork.
6
她在墙上贴满了十二星座的标志。

tā zài qiáng shàng tiē mǎn le shí èr xīng zuò de biāo zhì。

She covered the walls with the signs of the zodiac.
7
在这间客厅，我们粘贴了各种美丽的印花纸。

zài zhè jiān kè tīng， ， wǒ mén nián tiē le gè zhǒng měi lì de yìn huā。

In this living room we've mixed glorious floral prints.
8
他是个可爱的男孩，非常温柔体贴。

tā shì gè kě ài de nán hái， ， fēi cháng wēn róu tǐ。

He is a lovely boy, very gentle and caring.
9
我们把4个卧室都贴了墙纸。

wǒ mén bǎ4 4 gè wò shì dū tiē le qiáng。

We papered all four bedrooms.
10
他紧贴一面砖墙站着好让我通过。

tā jǐn tiē yī miàn zhuān qiáng zhàn zháo hǎo ràng wǒ tōng guò。

He flattened himself against a brick wall as I passed.

Cultural Notes for 贴

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 贴

Words Containing This Character20
贴tiēto stick貼
补贴bǔtiēsubsidy補貼
体贴tǐtiēconsiderate (of other people's needs)體貼
贴心intimate貼心
贴身close-fitting貼身
贴近tiējìnintimate貼近
津贴jīntiēallowance津貼
张贴zhāngtiēto advertise張貼
紧贴to stick close to緊貼
贴切tiēqièclose-fitting貼切
粘贴zhāntiēto stick粘貼
贴纸sticker貼紙
贴息to discount the interest on a bill of exchange貼息
倒贴to lose money instead of being paid (i.e. sb should pay me, but is actually taking my money)倒貼
贴水premium貼水
贴现discount貼現
锅贴fried dumpling鍋貼
贴合to fit貼合
体贴入微to show every possible consideration (idiom); meticulous care體貼入微
贴画poster貼畫
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 贴 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 贴

Phrases like 贴纸 (tiēzhǐ, sticker) and 贴合 (tiēhé, to fit snugly) are quite common.