天 Stroke Order — How to Write 天
天 is written in 4 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 大, 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.
天 Radical and Character Components
天 is an ideographic compound. The heavens 一 above a man 大.
Radical: 大 + 1 more stroke
天 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- tiān
Meanings of 天 in Chinese
1
tiān天
Refers to the sky or the high space above the ground.
傍晚时分，夕阳染红了西边的天空
In the evening, the setting sun dyed the western sky red.
The upper part; top; above (as in the top margin of a page).
这张纸的天头留白太少了
The top margin of this paper has too little white space.
Weather; day (referring to atmospheric conditions like temperature or state of the sky).
今天天气真冷啊！
It's really cold today!
season; time of year
春天是充满希望的季节。
Spring is a season full of hope.
day; a day and a night, or specifically daytime. For example, 'jīntiān' (today).
今天天气很好，我们出去玩吧。
Today the weather is great, let's go out and play.
In superstitious beliefs, it refers to the dwelling place of gods, Buddhas, and immortals; such as heaven or a celestial palace.
传说中，神仙都住在天上。
According to legends, immortals all live in heaven.
Refers to nature or the natural world, often appearing in phrases like 'natural chasm' (天堑), 'opportune time' (天时), or 'sounds of nature' (天籁).
夜幕降临，远处传来阵阵天籁之音。
As night fell, bursts of natural sounds came from the distance.
In ancient China, '天' (tiān) is used in the term '天干' (tiāngān), referring to the 'Heavenly Stems', a series of ten characters (甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, 辛, 壬, 癸) used in conjunction with Earthly Branches to form a sexagenary cycle for counting days or years. They are also known as '十干' (the ten stems).
在古代历法中，天干和地支是重要的组成部分，其中天干亦称十干。
In ancient calendars, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are important components, with Heavenly Stems also known as the Ten Stems.
Refers to an innate and extraordinary talent or intelligence, often describing a person with such abilities.
他从小就展现出了绘画的天才。
He displayed a genius for painting from a young age.
Common Words and Phrases with 天
1
Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) is a prominent historical gate in the center of Beijing, China, famous for its large square.
天安门是北京市中心一座宏伟的古建筑。
Tiananmen is a magnificent ancient building in the heart of Beijing.
2
high in the sky; mid-air
那座山峰高耸入云，仿佛直插天半。
That mountain peak soared into the clouds, as if piercing the mid-sky.
3
Tianbao was the era name of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, from 742 to 755 AD.
天宝年间，唐朝的文化艺术达到了一个高峰。
During the Tianbao era, the culture and art of the Tang Dynasty reached a peak.
4
The sky collapses and the earth splits; describes a catastrophic disaster like a massive earthquake or landslide, often implying immense destruction, deafening noise, or a great upheaval.
那场史无前例的地震，造成了天崩地坼般的破坏，无数房屋瞬间化为瓦砾。
That unprecedented earthquake caused devastation as if the sky collapsed and the earth cracked, and countless houses instantly turned into rubble.
5
beyond the horizon; the ends of the earth
晚霞染红了天边，美得像一幅画。
The evening glow painted the horizon red, beautiful as a painting.
6
Heavenly soldiers; (fig.) an invincible and valiant army.
神话故事中，天兵天将镇守天庭，维护宇宙的秩序与和平。
In mythological stories, celestial soldiers and generals guard the heavenly court, maintaining order and peace in the cosmos.
7
natural talent; native endowment
她从小就展现出对绘画的天禀，每一笔都充满了灵气
From a young age, she displayed a natural talent for painting, with every stroke full of spirit.
8
Heaven does not abandon people; there is always a path or solution, even in desperate circumstances.
生意虽然失败了，但他没有放弃，相信天不绝人，终于找到了新的发展方向，重新站了起来。
Although his business failed, he didn't give up. Believing that there is always a way out, he eventually found a new direction for development and got back on his feet.
9
We'll meet again someday.
这次没能好好告别，不过别担心，天不转地转，我们总会有再见面的机会的。
We didn't get a proper farewell this time, but don't worry, the world keeps turning, and we'll certainly have a chance to meet again.
10
A person with exceptional intellectual or creative ability; a genius or prodigy.
这位年轻的钢琴家在音乐领域展现出了非凡的天才，他的演奏总是令人惊叹。
This young pianist has shown extraordinary genius in the field of music, and his performances are always astonishing.
11
Poles apart; vastly different; describes a huge disparity or great distance, like heaven and earth.
这两个方案的优劣程度真是天差地远，根本无法比较。
The advantages and disadvantages of these two plans are truly a world of difference, making them impossible to compare.
12
Celestial Empire, a historical term for China, or a self-designation of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
昔日，远方部落派遣使者前来进贡，尊称我们为天朝上国
In ancient times, distant tribes sent envoys to pay tribute, honoring us as the Celestial Dynasty.
13
A heaven-sent opportunity or an excellent chance given by fate or nature.
这次能和世界顶尖科学家合作，真是天赐良机。
This opportunity to collaborate with world-class scientists is truly a heaven-sent opportunity.
14
A blessing from heaven; a divine gift or mercy.
这场突如其来的降雨对于干旱已久的农田来说，真是一种天赐之福。
This sudden rain is truly a heaven-sent blessing for the long-parched farmland.
15
One's wishes are granted by heaven or favorable circumstances.
她一直梦想能拥有一家自己的花店，现在梦想成真，真是天从人愿。
She had always dreamed of owning her own flower shop, and now her dream has come true; it's truly a wish granted by heaven.
More words with 天
- jīn今tiān天today
- cāng苍tiān天Heaven, the heavens
- chǔ楚tiān天Sky of Chu
- dòng洞tiān天Grotto-heaven, Paradise
- méi霉tiān天plum rain season
- qíng晴tiān天A sunny day with few or no clouds.
- shǔ暑tiān天hot summer days
- shuāng霜tiān天Frosty sky, Frosty weather
- tāo滔tiān天monstrous, towering
- liáo聊tiān天chat, talk
- mó摩tiān天sky-scraping
- tán谈tiān天To chat; to talk casually.
- zuó昨tiān天The day before today.
- dà大bàn半tiān天most of the day, a good part of the day
- lǐ礼bài拜tiān天Sunday
- mó摩tiān天lóu楼skyscraper
- pěng捧shàng上tiān天To praise to the skies, To laud to the skies
- yàn艳yáng阳tiān天A bright, sunny day.
- yī一bàn半tiān天in a day or two
- zhān詹tiān天yòu佑Zhan Tianyou
Idioms with 天
- tiān天bēng崩dì地liè裂cataclysmic upheaval
- tiān天bīng兵tiān天jiàng将invincible divine army or highly capable people
- tiān天bù不zuò做měi美unfavorable weather thwarts plans
- tiān天chéng成dì地píng平everything is perfectly arranged and settled
- tiān天chóu愁dì地cǎn惨heaven and earth filled with sorrow
- tiān天dǎ打léi雷pī劈May one be struck by lightning
- tiān天dà大xiào笑hua话a colossal absurdity
- tiān天dì地bù不róng容intolerable to heaven and earth
- tiān天dì地liáng良xīn心Heaven and Earth bear witness to my conscience
- tiān天fān翻dì地fù覆immense changes or utter chaos
- tiān天fāng方yè夜tán谭an incredible or fantastic story
- tiān天fǔ府zhī之guó国A land of abundance
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Open the tool →Questions about 天
What does 天 mean in Chinese?
天 (tiān) means “The upper part” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 天?
天 is pronounced tiān in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 天 have?
天 has 4 strokes.
How do you write 天?
天 is written in 4 strokes, starting from the radical 大. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 天?
The radical of 天 is 大, and 天 is an ideographic compound.