兇 meaning and stroke order
Atrocious, brutal, ferocious
How to write 兇, stroke by stroke
6 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 兇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- terrible
- fearful
How 兇 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A container 凵 of wickedness 乂.
Radical: 儿 (son), shared by 24 characters on this site.
How to remember 兇
兇 is 凶 (xiōng) sitting on 儿, the shape of human legs. The top part is a container 凵 holding wickedness 乂, so picture a person carrying that wicked load around and acting fierce.
兇 is a variant form of 凶 meaning fierce or brutal, and you will mostly see it in older or traditional texts. In modern Mandarin, especially in mainland China, words like 凶手 and 凶猛 are normally written with 凶. Example: 这只狗很兇。(Zhè zhī gǒu hěn xiōng.) This dog is very fierce.
Common mistake: Learners often write the word list items as 兇手 or 兇器 in simplified texts, but standard simplified Chinese uses 凶 for all these words. Also do not confuse 兇 with 兄 (xiōng, older brother), which has 口 on top instead of 凶.
Common words with 兇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 兇手 | xiōngshǒu | murderer; assassin | HSK 6 |
| 兇猛 | xiōngměng | fierce; violent | HSK 7-9 |
| 兇惡 | xiōng'è | fierce; vicious | HSK 7-9 |
| 兇器 | xiōngqì | lethal weapon; murder weapon | |
| 兇殺案 | xiōngshā'àn | murder case | |
| 兇案 | xiōng'àn | murder case | |
| 兇殺 | xiōngshā | to murder; assassination | |
| 行兇 | xíngxiōng | violent crime; to commit a violent act (assault or murder) | |
| 真兇 | zhēnxiōng | culprit | |
| 幫兇 | bāngxiōng | accomplice; accessory | |
| 兇險 | xiōngxiǎn | dangerous; ruthless |
Questions about 兇
How many strokes are in 兇?
兇 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 兇 mean?
兇 (xiōng) means atrocious, brutal, ferocious. A common word with it is 凶手 (xiōngshǒu), meaning "murderer; assassin".
How do you pronounce 兇?
兇 is pronounced xiōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 兇?
The radical of 兇 is 儿, which carries the idea of "son". Dictionaries list 兇 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 兇?
兇 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 凶, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 兇 the same character as 凶?
In meaning they overlap for fierce, brutal and murderous senses, and 兇 is treated as a variant of 凶. Modern simplified Chinese merged them into 凶, while some traditional usage keeps 兇 for the sense of a violent or fierce person.
Can 兇 describe a person who is just strict or bad-tempered?
Yes. In everyday speech you can say someone is 很兇 (hěn xiōng) when they look or speak harshly, like a stern teacher. It does not have to mean they are violent.