冲 meaning and stroke order
Thoroughfare; to go straight ahead; to rush
How to write 冲, 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 冲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (of water) to dash against
- to mix with water
- to infuse
- to rinse
- to flush
- to develop (a film)
- powerful
- vigorous
- pungent
- towards
- in view of
How 冲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
冫 gives the meaning and 中 hints at the sound.
Radical: 冫 (ice), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 冲
The left part 冫 is a water hint, and 中 (zhōng) gives the sound. Picture water rushing straight through the middle 中 of something, and you have 冲 (chōng), to flush or dash.
冲 (chōng) covers both rushing water and rushing people. You use it for rinsing, making drinks with hot water, and charging forward, as in 冲突 (chōngtū) conflict and 冲刺 (chōngcì) sprint. Example: 他冲进了房间。(Tā chōng jìn le fángjiān.) He rushed into the room.
Common mistake: Learners often write 冲 with three dots 氵 like 沖, but the simplified form uses only two dots 冫. Also do not confuse it with 种 (zhǒng), which has 禾 on the left instead of 冫.
Common words with 冲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 冲动 | chōngdòng | to have an urge; to be impetuous | HSK 5 |
| 冲突 | chōngtū | conflict; to conflict | HSK 5 |
| 冲击 | chōngjī | to attack; to batter | HSK 6 |
| 冲浪 | chōnglàng | to surf; surfing | HSK 7-9 |
| 冲洗 | chōngxǐ | to rinse; to wash; (photography) to develop (film) | HSK 7-9 |
| 冲刺 | chōngcì | (sports) to sprint; to spurt; to dash; to put in a big effort to achieve a goal as the dea | HSK 7-9 |
| 冲撞 | chōngzhuàng | to collide; jerking motion | HSK 7-9 |
| 冲向 | chōngxiàng | to charge into | |
| 脉冲 | màichōng | pulse (physics) | |
| 冲破 | chōngpò | breakthrough; to overcome an obstacle quickly | |
| 冲锋 | chōngfēng | to charge (at the enemy); to storm (an enemy position) | |
| 冲出 | chōngchū | to rush out | |
| 俯冲 | fǔchōng | to dive down fast; to swoop down | |
| 冲走 | chōngzǒu | to flush away |
冲 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 冲
How many strokes are in 冲?
冲 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 冲 mean?
冲 (chōng) means thoroughfare; to go straight ahead; to rush. A common word with it is 冲动 (chōngdòng), meaning "to have an urge; to be impetuous".
How do you pronounce 冲?
冲 is pronounced chōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 冲?
The radical of 冲 is 冫, which carries the idea of "ice". Dictionaries list 冲 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 冲?
The traditional form of 冲 is 沖 and 衝. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 冲 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 冲 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 冲 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
When is 冲 pronounced chòng instead of chōng?
It is chòng when it means facing toward or being strong and blunt. For example, 他冲我笑 (tā chòng wǒ xiào) means he smiled at me, and 这酒很冲 (zhè jiǔ hěn chòng) means this liquor is very strong.
How do you say to make coffee or tea with 冲?
Use 冲 (chōng) for pouring hot water onto something. 冲咖啡 (chōng kāfēi) means to make instant coffee, and 冲茶 (chōng chá) means to brew tea.