候 meaning and stroke order
To wait, to expect; to visit; to greet
How to write 候, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 10
Meaning of 候
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to wait
- to inquire after
- to watch
- season
- climate
- (old) period of five days
How 候 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 矦 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 候
候 is pictophonetic: the person radical 亻 gives the meaning, and 矦 (hóu) gives the sound. Picture a person 亻 standing beside a marker, waiting for the right time.
On its own 候 is rare in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 时候 (shíhou), 等候 (děnghòu) and 问候 (wènhòu). Example: 你什么时候来？(Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?) When are you coming?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 候 with 侯 (hóu, marquis), which looks almost the same but lacks the short vertical stroke between 亻 and the right side. Also note that in 时候 the syllable is usually said in the neutral tone, shíhou, not shí hòu.
Common words with 候
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 时候 | shíhou | time; length of time | HSK 1 |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes | HSK 1 |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | in one's childhood | HSK 2 |
| 这时候 | zhè shíhou | HSK 2 | |
| 那时候 | nà shíhou | at that time | HSK 2 |
| 气候 | qìhòu | (meteorology) climate; (fig.) climate; prevailing conditions (in human affairs) | HSK 3 |
| 问候 | wènhòu | to give one's respects; to send a greeting | HSK 4 |
| 等候 | děnghòu | to wait; to wait for | HSK 5 |
| 候选人 | hòuxuǎnrén | candidate | HSK 7-9 |
| 伺候 | cìhou | to serve; to wait upon | HSK 7-9 |
| 稍候 | shāohòu | to wait a moment | HSK 7-9 |
| 守候 | shǒuhòu | to wait for; to expect | HSK 7-9 |
| 侍候 | shìhòu | to serve; to wait upon | HSK 7-9 |
| 火候 | huǒhou | heat control; (fig.) mastery | HSK 7-9 |
候 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 候
How many strokes are in 候?
候 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 候 mean?
候 (hòu) means to wait, to expect; to visit; to greet. A common word with it is 时候 (shíhou), meaning "time; length of time".
How do you pronounce 候?
候 is pronounced hòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 候?
The radical of 候 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 候 under this radical.
Is 候 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 候 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why does 候 also mean season or climate?
The senses of watching and waiting extend to periods of time, so 候 also covers seasons and weather conditions. That is why it appears in 气候 (qìhòu), climate. In old usage a 候 was also a period of five days.
What is the difference between 等 and 等候?
Both mean to wait. 等 (děng) is everyday and casual. 等候 (děnghòu) is more formal and common in notices, such as 请在此等候 (qǐng zài cǐ děnghòu), please wait here.