圭 (guī): sundial, (ancient unit of volume) a tiny amount, a smidgen, a speck

圭 (guī) is a Chinese character meaning “sundial.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), with radical 土 (earth). It ranks #2925 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).

Native pronunciation

HSK 7-9 Radical: 土 earth6 strokesFrequency #2925

Definitions

sundial
(ancient unit of volume) a tiny amount
a smidgen
a speck

Stroke Order

Practice writing 圭 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.

Words & Compounds

Common Compounds

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
巴拉圭	bā lā guī	Paraguay
圭亚那	guī yà nà	Guyana
乌拉圭	wū lā guī	Uruguay
法属圭亚那	fǎ shǔ guī yà nà	French Guiana
安圭拉	ān guī lā	Anguilla
利隆圭	lì lóng guī	Lilongwe, capital of Malawi
奉为圭臬	fèng wéi guī niè	to take as a guiding principle (idiom)
荜门圭窦	bì mén guī dòu	wicker door, hole window (idiom)
崔圭夏	cuī guī xià	Choe Gyuha (1919-2006), South Korean politician, president 1979-1980

Total compounds

As first character

As last character

As middle character

圭 appears in 9 compound words: 11 as the first character, 33 as the last, and 56 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.

Idioms & Chengyu (1)

奉为圭臬fèngwéiguīnièHSK 6+

to look up to as a standard; to hold up as a model; to take as a guiding principle

phrase

Example Sentences

AI-Generated

春天到了，农民开始翻圭播种。

chūn tiān dào le , nóng mín kāi shǐ fān guī bō zhǒng .

Spring has arrived, and farmers have begun plowing and sowing.

中国新闻网_梳理天下新闻Apr 2026

第21批援圭亚那中国医疗队赴林区义诊

dì 2 1 pī yuán guī yà nà zhōng guó yī liáo duì fù lín qū yì zhěn

UdnnewsindexMar 2026

李逸洋感谢古屋圭司痛批中国长臂管辖太荒谬

lǐ yì yáng gǎn xiè gǔ wū guī sī tòng pī zhōng guó cháng bì guǎn xiá tài huāng miù

EttodayMar 2026

多国政要齐聚玉山论坛古屋圭司重申:日本绝对不会坐视“台湾有事”

duō guó zhèng yāo qí jù yù shān lùn tán gǔ wū guī sī chóng shēn : rì běn jué duì bù huì zuò shì tái wān yǒu shì

Character Family

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 圭 (guī) mean in Chinese?

圭 (guī) primarily means "sundial." It is classified as HSK Level 7-9, making it an expert-level character. It ranks #2925 in character frequency.

How many strokes does 圭 have?

圭 is written with 6 strokes. The correct stroke order matters for recognition and handwriting speed — practice with the animated guide above to build proper technique.

What is the radical of 圭?

The radical associated with 圭 is 土 (earth). This radical appears in many characters related to earth.

What are common words containing 圭?

Common words with 圭 include: 巴拉圭 (bā lā guī, "Paraguay"); 圭亚那 (guī yà nà, "Guyana"); 乌拉圭 (wū lā guī, "Uruguay"); 法属圭亚那 (fǎ shǔ guī yà nà, "French Guiana"); 安圭拉 (ān guī lā, "Anguilla"). There are over 9 compound words containing this character.

Is 圭 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?

Yes, 圭 is written the same way in both simplified and traditional Chinese.

Practice writing 圭 with real-time feedback

Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.

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