Level 1 · Unit 6 Animals, Plants & Food

How to Write 叶 (yè)

Meaning: "Leaf"
Step-by-Step Stroke Order Diagram
Loading stroke data...
🖨️ Print Practice Sheet for This Word

Detailed Mastery Guide for 叶

The character 叶 (Traditional: 葉) is a fundamental part of the Chinese language, representing "Leaf". In our Level 1 curriculum, we focus on the 12-step stroke sequence to ensure your handwriting is both fast and accurate.

Writing & Recognition

Proper stroke order is essential for character recognition and legibility. By following the animation above, you can see how the character is built from top to bottom and left to right. This character is often categorized under Animals, Plants & Food, making it a versatile addition to your vocabulary.

Key Vocabulary

叶子 / 葉子 yèzi / yèzi jip6 zi2 / jip6 zi2
leaf
树叶 / 樹葉 shùyè / shùyè syu6 jip6 / syu6 jip6
tree leaf

Radical Breakdown

Breaking it down: The character 叶 is built on the radical mouth 30. Understanding radicals like this is a proven technique for accelerating vocabulary acquisition.

Etymology & Origins

Phono-semantic compound. The left part indicates mouth (originally representing the sound of blowing), and the right part is phonetic. In Simplified, it merged with the ancient character for leaf.

Example Sentence

Simplified: 秋天到了,树叶从树上掉下来。

Qiūtiān dàole, shùyè cóng shùshàng diào xiàlái.

Traditional: 秋天到了,樹葉從樹上掉下來。

Cau1 tin1 dou3 liu5, syu6 jip6 cung4 syu6 soeng6 diu6 haa6 loi4.

"Autumn has arrived, and the leaves are falling from the trees."

Dialect Pronunciation

In Mandarin, this character is pronounced as yè. If you are learning Cantonese, the pronunciation is jip6. Use the audio buttons to hear the subtle tonal differences between the two major Chinese dialects.

Practice & Retention

To move this character from short-term to long-term memory, we recommend using our free practice sheet generator. Writing the character 10-15 times while following the correct sequence is a proven method for mastery.

Quick Self-Check

What is the meaning of '叶'?

A) Leaf
B) Mountain
C) River
D) Stone

Other Characters in Level 1 Unit 6

Hope this tool helps your Chinese learning journey!

We built this site to ensure everyone has access to free stroke order visualizers without annoying paywalls or trial limits. If you find it helpful, supporting us on Ko-fi helps keep the site running!

☕ Support Us on Ko-fi