义 (yì) means surname Yi; (Tw) Italy (abbr. for 義大利|义大利[Yi4 da4 li4]); justice. Simplified form has 3 strokes under radical 丿.
Noble and heroic in tone (e.g., 秉义, 义轩). Note that simplified 义 has only 3 strokes and can look sparse visually—many calligraphy enthusiasts prefer traditional 義.
Traditional 義 has strong visual presence and expresses righteousness, honor, and brotherhood.
Origin & Visual Logic: Traditional 義 pairs the auspicious sheep symbol (羊) over self (我): holding oneself to noble, upright standards.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 義 / 义 | Yì | surname Yi; (Tw) Italy (abbr. for 義大利|义大利[Yi4 da4 li4]) |
| 義 / 义 | yì | justice; righteousness; meaning |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 正义 | zhèngyì | justice | |
| 意义 | yìyì | meaning and significance | |
| 道义 | dàoyì | morality and justice |
See how native speakers pair 义 (yì) into modern Chinese names:
"义" has 3 strokes in Simplified Chinese (Traditional form: 義). Its primary dictionary radical is 丿, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Rating: Good with Pairing (Masculine-leaning). Noble and heroic in tone (e.g., 秉义, 义轩). Note that simplified 义 has only 3 strokes and can look sparse visually—many calligraphy enthusiasts prefer traditional 義.
Tattoo rating: Safe & Classic. Traditional 義 has strong visual presence and expresses righteousness, honor, and brotherhood.
