HSK 3 · Verbs

选择 xuǎnzé “select” in Chinese

Traditional 選擇

What 选择 means

  1. select
  2. to pick
  3. choose
  4. choice
  5. option
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • alternative

How to say 选择

  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale选xuǎn3rd tone, dipping
  • Pitch chart of the second tone: rises from mid to high, 3 to 5 on the five-level scale择zé2nd tone, rising

选择 in a sentence

  1. 这是你的选择。

    Zhè shì nǐ de xuǎnzé.

    It’s your choice.

    Sentence #9971430 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 我们没有别的选择。

    Wǒmen méiyǒu biéde xuǎnzé.

    We have no other choice.

    Sentence #2254381 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 你可以选择红茶，咖啡或牛奶。

    Nǐ kěyǐ xuǎnzé hóngchá, kāfēi huò niúnǎi.

    You can choose black tea, coffee or milk.

    Sentence #335006 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 选择 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 选 (xuǎn) with each of its parts in a different colour
选xuǎnto choose
  • 先first · xiānSound part
  • 辶walking form of 辵 · chuòMeaning part

辶 hints at the meaning (walking); 先 (xiān) hints at the sound. Compare it with xuǎn.

The character 择 (zé) drawn as one shape
择zéto select

择 is a single shape of 8 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

How to write 选择

选 9 strokes · 择 8 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

选择 (xuǎnzé) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 选择 (xuǎnzé). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 选择

Words with 选

选xuǎn · to choose选手xuǎnshǒu · competitor筛选shāixuǎn · to screen选拔xuǎnbá · to select (the best)当选dāngxuǎn · to be elected候选hòuxuǎn · candidate竞选jìngxuǎn · to run for office选举xuǎnjǔ · to elect

Words with 择

不择手段bùzéshǒuduàn · by any means necessary

More words: Thinking & Talking

完成wánchéng · to complete相信xiāngxìn · to believe小心xiǎoxīn · be careful需要xūyào · to need要求yāoqiú · to request应该yīnggāi · should影响yǐngxiǎng · influence愿意yuànyì · be willing

FAQs

选择 (xuǎnzé) means “select” or “to pick”. It is an HSK 3 word.
Say it xuǎnzé: xuǎn with a 3rd tone, then zé with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 选择 is written 選擇. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type xuanze with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 选择 from the suggestions. Typing xuanze into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
选择 is an HSK 3 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.