天 (tiān) means "day, sky" with 4 strokes, radical 大 (big), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: day
Other meanings:
- sky
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
The oracle bone form shows a standing human figure (大) with a large round or square head emphasised on top. The enlarged head represents what is above a person, by extension the sky and the heavens. Some scholars read the top stroke in later forms as the absolute upper limit, the firmament itself.
Form evolution
In bronze inscriptions the head is often a solid filled circle or dot sitting on the 大 figure. Seal script flattens this dot into a short horizontal stroke, and clerical script straightens it into the long top horizontal seen today. The modern 楷书 form keeps two horizontals over 大, with the upper stroke conventionally written shorter than the lower.
How the meaning evolved
The original sense of the crown of the head extended very early to sky, then to the celestial powers ruling the sky, and from there to fate, weather, and a unit of day. By the Zhou period 天 already meant Heaven as a moral agent, as in 天命 the Mandate of Heaven. Modern Mandarin keeps all these layers: 今天 today, 天气 weather, 天空 sky, 老天 the heavens above.
Cultural note
A common learner mistake is writing 天 with the upper horizontal longer than the lower, which turns it into 夫 (husband). The classical line 天行健，君子以自强不息 from the Yijing is one of the most quoted uses of the character in Chinese culture.
Mnemonic
Above the great person — the sky
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | tiān |
| Meanings | day, sky |
| Stroke count | 4 strokes |
| Radical | 大 (#37: big) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1, write by hand at HSK 1-2 |
| Frequency | #133 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 天
Related characters
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
- Beginner Chinese Vocabulary: The First 200 Words to Learn
- Days, Months & Seasons in Chinese: Complete Time Vocabulary
- Chinese Final Exam Review: Study Guide for Every Level
- How to Learn Chinese Grammar: The Practical Guide (No Textbook Required)
- Chinese Nature Vocabulary: 70+ Words for the Natural World
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.