威 Might in Chinese (wēi)

Dictionary Summary

威 (wēi) means power; might; prestige. Simplified form has 9 strokes under radical 女.

Pinyin & Tonewēi (Tone 1)

Simplified / Trad.威 / 威

Radical女

Total Strokes9 strokes

StructureOverlaid / Integral (戌 + 女)

Unicode / LevelU+5A01 · HSK 5-6

Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review

🪪 Using “威” in a Chinese Name · Good with Pairing (Masculine-leaning)

Popular in Hong Kong and classic names (e.g., 志威, 嘉威), though on the Mainland standalone 威 can sound somewhat dated. Great phonetic echo for William or David (大卫/德威).

✒️ Using “威” for a Tattoo · Better in a Phrase

Stronger in classical idioms like 威严 (dignity) or 龙威.

Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings

Origin & Visual Logic: Combines halberd/authority (戌) and woman/lineage (女), originally denoting solemn ritual awe.

Traditional / Simplified	Pinyin	CC-CEDICT Definitions
威 / 威	wēi	power; might; prestige

Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).

Common Words & Idioms Using “威”

Chinese Word	Pinyin	English Meaning
威严	wēiyán	dignified authority
威风	wēifēng	imposing presence
权威	quánwēi	authority

English Names Using “威” in Our Curated Recommendations

See how native speakers pair 威 (wēi) into modern Chinese names:

王威林William (Wáng Wēi lín)戴威David (Dài Wēi)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does the Chinese character "威" (wēi) have?

"威" has 9 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 女, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.

Is "威" good to use in a real Chinese name?

Rating: Good with Pairing (Masculine-leaning). Popular in Hong Kong and classic names (e.g., 志威, 嘉威), though on the Mainland standalone 威 can sound somewhat dated. Great phonetic echo for William or David (大卫/德威).