冈 meaning and stroke order
Ridge or crest of hill
How to write 冈, stroke by stroke
4 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
Meaning of 冈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ridge
- mound
How 冈 is built
Pictographic character. Simplified form of 岡, clouds 网 forming over a mountain 山.
Radical: 冂 (wide), shared by 13 characters on this site.
How to remember 冈
Picture 冂 as the outline of a hill and 乂 as crossed paths meeting at the top. The full older form 岡 shows clouds 网 hanging over a mountain 山, so think of 冈 (gāng) as the high ridge where the clouds sit.
冈 (gāng) is mostly a literary or place-name character today. You see it in words like 山冈 (shāngāng) and in names of places and people. Example: 他站在山冈上看日出。 (Tā zhàn zài shāngāng shang kàn rìchū.) He stood on the hill watching the sunrise.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 冈 with 风 (fēng, wind) because both have an enclosing frame around a small inner part. 风 has a hooked frame with 㐅 inside and opens at the bottom right, while 冈 sits inside 冂 with 乂. Also do not mix it up with 刚 (gāng, just now), which adds 刂 on the right.
Common words with 冈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 山冈 | shāngāng | mound; small hill | HSK 7-9 |
冈 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 冈
Learning 冈 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 冈
How many strokes are in 冈?
冈 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 冈 mean?
冈 (gāng) means ridge or crest of hill. A common word with it is 山冈 (shāngāng), meaning "mound; small hill".
How do you pronounce 冈?
冈 is pronounced gāng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 冈?
The radical of 冈 is 冂, which carries the idea of "wide". Dictionaries list 冈 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 冈?
The traditional form of 冈 is 岡. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 冈 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 冈 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 冈 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 冈 related to 岗 and 钢?
Yes. 冈 serves as the sound part in 岗 (gǎng, post or mound), 刚 (gāng, just), 钢 (gāng, steel) and 纲 (gāng, outline). They share the sound gang, though the tone can differ.
Why do I see 冈 in Japanese place names?
Japanese uses the traditional form 岡 in names like 岡山 and 福岡. In simplified Chinese these are written 冈山 and 福冈, with 冈 read gāng.