以 Stroke Order — How to Write 以
以 is written in 5 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 人, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
以 Radical and Character Components
Partial breakdown of 以:人
Radical: 人 + 3 more strokes
以 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- yǐ
Meanings of 以 in Chinese
1
yǐ以
To use, take, or regard something (like hardship) as another (like joy).
即使生活充满挑战，他也能以苦为乐，积极面对。
Even when life is full of challenges, he can find joy in hardship and face them positively.
To use; by means of; according to (often used to indicate a method or standard).
我们应该以理服人，而不是强词夺理。
We should convince people with reason, rather than resorting to sophistry.
Because of; on account of; based on.
不以貌取人。
Do not judge people by their appearance.
Used to indicate time or date, meaning 'at' or 'on'.
我以明天上午九点在图书馆等你。
I will wait for you at the library at 9 AM tomorrow.
For the purpose of; in order to; with a view to.
我们应该积极准备，以应对未来的挑战。
We should actively prepare to cope with future challenges.
A classical Chinese conjunction, similar to '而' (ér), used to connect clauses, often indicating 'thereby', 'so as to', or 'in order to'.
学习知识的目的是为了学以致用。
The purpose of learning knowledge is to apply what you have learned.
Used before a word of locality to indicate a boundary in time, location, direction, or quantity (e.g., before, within).
请在会议以前准备好报告。
Please prepare the report before the meeting.
Used after a verb, similar to a suffix, indicating 'can' or 'able to'. Often seen in compound words like '可以' (kěyǐ) or '得以' (déyǐ).
经过努力，我们得以完成这项任务。
Through hard work, we were able to complete this task.
Used interchangeably with '已' (yǐ), meaning 'already' or 'ago'. This usage is often found in more formal or classical contexts.
此事以成定局。
This matter is already a foregone conclusion.
To be too much; excessively; very. Often used in rhetorical questions.
难道不以迟乎?
Isn't it too late?
To include, to connect; and; together with. Often used in formal or literary contexts to link subjects or elements, indicating 'along with' or 'and'.
他以其家人一同前往。
He went together with his family.
Common Words and Phrases with 以
1
To substitute one tyrant with another.
如果只是简单地以暴易暴，新的管理者很可能重蹈覆辙，继续压制团队。
If one merely replaces one brutal approach with another, the new manager is very likely to repeat the same mistakes, continuing to suppress the team.
2
so that; in order to; with the aim of
请把窗户打开，以便让新鲜空气进来。
Please open the window so that fresh air can come in.
3
In proper order; successively; the following; other.
学生们以次排队，准备进入报告厅。
Students lined up in order, ready to enter the auditorium.
4
To satirize current affairs.
许多喜剧演员喜欢通过夸张的表演和尖锐的台词，以刺世事，引发观众对社会现象的深思。
Many comedians enjoy satirizing contemporary social phenomena through exaggerated performances and sharp lines, prompting the audience to deeply reflect on societal issues.
5
To return good for evil; to repay resentment with kindness.
即使面对曾经伤害过自己的人，她也选择以德报怨，用真诚和帮助化解了彼此的隔阂
Even when confronted by someone who had once hurt her, she chose to repay evil with kindness, resolving their estrangement with sincerity and assistance.
6
To combat poison with poison; figuratively, to fight fire with fire or use a lesser evil to overcome a greater one.
面对越来越猖獗的病毒软件，一些安全专家建议以毒攻毒，开发出能自动修复系统漏洞的反病毒程序。
Facing increasingly rampant virus software, some security experts suggest fighting fire with fire, developing antivirus programs that can automatically fix system vulnerabilities.
7
To spread a false report or an error, often making it worse or more distorted as it is passed on.
关于新产品发布日期的传闻很多，大家一定要仔细辨别，避免以讹传讹。
There are many rumors about the new product's release date; everyone must carefully distinguish them to avoid spreading misinformation.
8
Just in case, to be prepared for unexpected events.
我会多带一件外套，以防万一晚上会冷。
I'll bring an extra coat, just in case it gets cold tonight.
9
attack as a means of defense
在这次棋局中，小明巧妙地以攻为守，通过积极的进攻来限制对手的布局。
In this chess game, Xiao Ming cleverly adopted an offensive defense, limiting his opponent's moves through active attacks.
10
therefore; for this reason
天气突然转凉，以故他穿上了厚外套
The weather suddenly turned cold; for this reason, he put on a thick coat.
11
To see how one behaves in the future; to observe future conduct.
公司决定给予他最后一次机会，以观后效
The company decided to give him one last chance, to observe his future conduct.
12
since (a certain time in the past); from... onwards
自他加入公司以还，团队的业绩显著提升
Since he joined the company, the team's performance has significantly improved.
13
14
Meaning 'as well as' or 'and', used to connect items or clauses, indicating a parallel relationship.
这次会议讨论了市场趋势、产品创新以及客户反馈。
This meeting discussed market trends, product innovation, as well as customer feedback.
15
To judge others by one's own standards, thoughts, or assumptions.
我们不应该以己度人，总觉得别人会像自己一样做出不道德的选择，这样会错过许多真诚的友谊。
We should not project our own thoughts onto others, always assuming they would make immoral choices like ourselves, as this could lead us to miss out on many genuine friendships.
16
to pass off the spurious as genuine; to mix the fake with the real to deceive
这些高仿工艺品制作得非常精巧，足以以假乱真，让普通消费者很难分辨真伪。
These high-quality imitation crafts are so exquisitely made that they can easily pass off as genuine, making it difficult for ordinary consumers to distinguish between the real and the fake.
More words with 以
- suó所yǐ以so, therefore
- yú予yǐ以to give; to grant
- gěi给yǐ以to give; to confer
- shì是yǐ以Therefore; consequently
- zú足yǐ以enough, sufficient
- yù欲yǐ以Intend to use, Planning to
- yǐ以bèi备in preparation for, for future use
- yí以cǐ此with this, by this
- yǐ以fáng防to prevent, in case
- yǐ以gòng供for, to provide
- yǐ以qī期in order to, with a view to
- yǐ以qí其its, by its
- yǐ以qián前before, previously
- yǐ以qiú求in order to, so as to
- yǐ以wéi为think, believe
- dé得yǐ以to be able to, to be allowed to
- ké可yǐ以can, may
- shī施yǐ以to apply, to inflict
- yǐ以lái来since, ever since
- yǐ以xià下Below, The following
Idioms with 以
- yǐ以bèi备wàn万yī一prepare for the unexpected
- yǐ以bīng冰zhì致yíng蝇a futile endeavor
- yǐ以cǐ此lèi类tuī推and so on by analogy
- yǐ以dé德bào报dé德repay kindness with kindness
- yǐ以dé德fú服rén人win people over by virtue
- yǐ以diǎn点dài带miàn面use a pilot program to guide wider work
- yǐ以ěr耳dài代mù目rely on hearsay instead of seeing for oneself
- yǐ以fáng防bù不cè测to guard against unforeseen circumstances
- yǐ以gōng功shú赎zuì罪atone for crime with service
- yǐ以gǔ古wéi为jìng镜use history as a guide
- yǐ以gǔ古yù喻jīn今use ancient examples to illustrate present issues
- yǐ以guān冠bǔ补lǚ履Use something valuable for a trivial purpose
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Open the tool →Questions about 以
What does 以 mean in Chinese?
以 (yǐ) means “To use” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 以?
以 is pronounced yǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 以 have?
以 has 5 strokes.
How do you write 以?
以 is written in 5 strokes, starting from the radical 人. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 以?
The radical of 以 is 人.