若 Stroke Order — How to Write 若
若 is written in 9 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 艹, 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.
若 Radical and Character Components
Radical: 艹 + 5 more strokes
若 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- ruò
- rě
Meanings of 若 in Chinese
1
ruò若
If; supposing; in case: used to introduce a condition or hypothesis.
倘若明天下雨，我们就取消郊游。
If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the outing.
To be like; as if; seemingly; to act as if.
他吃饭时总是旁若无人地玩手机。
He always plays with his phone as if no one else is around when eating.
You, your (archaic; used as a second-person pronoun, similar to 'thou' or 'thee' in classical Chinese, or as a possessive 'your').
吾已将一切告知于若。
I have already told you everything.
Approximately; some amount; a certain number or quantity.
店里还剩若干个苹果。
There are still some apples left in the store.
This; such; in this way; similar to 'such as' or 'if' in classical Chinese when referring to the preceding context or a hypothetical situation.
若此做法，难免失败。
Such an approach is bound to fail.
To comply with; to act in accordance with (rules, instructions).
一切若规章行事，就不会出错。
If everything is done in accordance with the rules, there will be no mistakes.
When pronounced ruò, this character refers to 'Hairuo' (海若), the sea god in ancient Chinese mythology.
面对无垠的大海，人们常感叹于若的深不可测。
Facing the boundless sea, people often sigh at the unfathomable depths of Ruo (the sea god).
Refers to 'Ruò Mù', the name of a mythical tree in ancient Chinese legends.
传说若木是连接天地的神树。
Legend has it that Ruò Mù is a divine tree connecting heaven and earth.
Refers to 'Du Ruo' (a fragrant herb mentioned in ancient texts), or its flower, 'ruò yīng'.
山谷中弥漫着若英的清香。
The fresh fragrance of *ruò yīng* (Du Ruo flowers) pervades the valley.
An introductory particle in classical Chinese, often used with '夫' (fú) to introduce a new topic or a rhetorical question, meaning 'as for' or 'if'.
若夫美景当前，何不驻足欣赏？
Given such a beautiful scene before us, why not pause and enjoy it?
Used after an adjective or adverb to describe the state or appearance of something, often with a poetic or literary nuance.
花朵灿若朝霞。
The flowers are as brilliant as the morning glow.
2
rě若
Used exclusively in the Buddhist term '般若' (bān rě), which refers to 'Prajna', a profound wisdom or insight.
佛教强调通过修习般若来获得智慧。
Buddhism emphasizes gaining wisdom through practicing Prajna.
Common Words and Phrases with 若
1
unless
若不勤奋学习，你将很难取得好成绩。
If you don't study diligently, you will find it hard to achieve good grades.
2
3
If not; were it not for.
若非你提醒，我差点忘了今天的会议。
If it weren't for your reminder, I would have almost forgotten today's meeting.
4
An introductory phrase meaning 'as for' or 'as to', used to introduce a new topic or aspect.
若夫山川之美，草木之盛，皆自然之造化也。
As for the beauty of mountains and rivers, and the luxuriant growth of plants, all these are the handiwork of nature.
5
Ruògān (若干) means several (more than two but less than many), or how many/how much (as an interrogative pronoun for quantity).
完成这个项目还需要若干天。
It will take several more days to complete this project.
6
7
8
To be neither friendly nor aloof; to maintain a subtle or ambiguous distance.
他们之间的感情总是若即若离，让人捉摸不透。
Their relationship is always on-again, off-again, making it hard to figure out.
9
Indistinct, vague, or hazy; describing an unclear understanding or an ambiguous attitude.
整个会议过程中，她对新提案的态度始终若明若暗，让人摸不着头脑。
Throughout the meeting, her attitude towards the new proposal remained ambiguous, leaving everyone puzzled.
10
If; usually introduces a hypothetical condition in a complex sentence, similar to '要是' or '如果'.
若是明天天气好，我们便去郊外野餐
If the weather is good tomorrow, we will go for a picnic in the suburbs.
11
you (plural); all of you
此番学问，若属应悉心钻研，方有所成。
Regarding this area of study, those among you should diligently research it to achieve success.
12
As if nothing had happened; acting calm and unconcerned.
尽管他内心很紧张，表面上却若无其事地微笑着。
Although he was very nervous inside, he smiled outwardly as if nothing had happened.
13
Partly hidden and partly visible; vaguely discernible or appearing indistinctly.
在薄雾中，远处的山峦若隐若现，增添了几分神秘感。
In the thin mist, the distant mountains were faintly discernible, adding a touch of mystery.
14
As if one has lost something; looking blank or distraught.
他站在窗前，神情若有所丧，不知道在思念些什么。
He stood by the window, his expression as if having lost something, not knowing what he was missing.
15
thoughtfully; as if deep in thought
他独自一人坐在咖啡馆里，若有所思地看着窗外的人来人往
He sat alone in the cafe, looking out at the passers-by with a pensive expression.
More words with 若
- bō般rě若Prajñā, Wisdom
- jí即ruò若even though; even if
- shè设ruò若if; suppose
- tǎng倘ruò若if, supposing
- hé何ruò若what; what about; how
- lán兰rě若Monastery, Buddhist monastery
- pì譬ruò若for example; such as
- wǎn宛ruò若as if; just like
- yóu犹ruò若still; still like
- lèi类lán兰rě若like a monastery
- ruò若mù木Ruomu, Ruo tree
- ruò若yǒu有if any, if there is
- ruò若xiǎng想If you want, If desired
- ruò若yào要If you want to, In order to
- ruò若yīng英Ruo Ying, Like a flower
- càn灿ruò若shining like, resplendent as
- fǎng仿ruò若as if, as though
- ruò若lì厉If dangerous, Like danger
- ruò若néng能If possible, If one can
- tǎng傥ruò若if, in case
Idioms with 若
- ruò若cún存ruò若wáng亡vague and elusive
- ruò若yǒu有ruò若wú无vague and indistinct
- ruò若yǒu有suǒ所shī失as if something were lost
- ruò若yǒu有suǒ所wáng亡as if something were lost
- ài爱cái才ruò若kě渴eagerly seek and cherish talent
- ào傲nì睨zì自ruò若haughtily disdainful and self-possessed
- chàng怅rán然ruò若shī失lost and frustrated
- chǒng宠rǔ辱ruò若jīng惊agitated by favor or disgrace
- chǔn蠢ruò若mù木jī鸡dumbfounded or foolishly unresponsive
- cóng从róng容zì自ruò若calm and self-possessed
- dà大qiǎo巧ruò若zhuō拙Great skill appears clumsy
- dà大zhì智ruò若yú愚great wisdom appears foolish
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Open the tool →Questions about 若
What does 若 mean in Chinese?
若 (ruò) means “If” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 若?
若 has 2 pronunciations: ruò, rě.
How many strokes does 若 have?
若 has 9 strokes.
How do you write 若?
若 is written in 9 strokes, starting from the radical 艹. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 若?
The radical of 若 is 艹.