功 meaning and stroke order
Meritorious deed or service; achievement; result
How to write 功, stroke by stroke
5 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
Meaning of 功
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- meritorious deed or service
- achievement
- result
- service
- accomplishment
- work (physics)
How 功 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Results produced by capable 力 labor 工; 工 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 力 (strength), shared by 44 characters on this site.
How to remember 功
Put work 工 (gōng) together with strength 力 (lì) and you get 功, the result of hard labor: an achievement or merit. The 工 on the left also tells you the sound, gōng.
功 rarely appears alone in everyday speech. It mostly shows up inside words like 成功 (chénggōng, success), 功夫 (gōngfu, skill), and 功能 (gōngnéng, function). Example: 他终于成功了。(Tā zhōngyú chénggōng le.) He finally succeeded.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 功 with 攻 (gōng, to attack), which has the same sound but 攻 on the right instead of 力. Remember that achievement takes strength 力, so 成功 uses 功, while 进攻 (jìngōng, to attack) uses 攻.
Common words with 功
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 成功 | chénggōng | to succeed; success | HSK 3 |
| 功夫 | gōngfu | skill; art | HSK 3 |
| 功能 | gōngnéng | function; capability | HSK 3 |
| 功课 | gōngkè | homework; assignment | HSK 3 |
| 功劳 | gōngláo | contribution; meritorious service | HSK 7-9 |
| 用功 | yònggōng | diligent; industrious (in one's studies) | HSK 7-9 |
| 功率 | gōnglǜ | power (rate of doing work, measured in watts) | HSK 7-9 |
| 功力 | gōnglì | merit; efficacy | HSK 7-9 |
| 功效 | gōngxiào | efficacy | HSK 7-9 |
| 成功率 | chénggōnglǜ | HSK 7-9 | |
| 立功 | lìgōng | to render meritorious service (one the three imperishables 三不朽[san1 bu4 xiu3]); to make wo | HSK 7-9 |
| 功臣 | gōngchén | meritorious official; person who renders exceptional service; hero | HSK 7-9 |
| 功底 | gōngdǐ | training in the basic skills; knowledge of the fundamentals | HSK 7-9 |
| 多功能 | duōgōngnéng | multifunctional; multifunction | HSK 7-9 |
功 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 功
How many strokes are in 功?
功 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 功 mean?
功 (gōng) means meritorious deed or service; achievement; result. A common word with it is 成功 (chénggōng), meaning "to succeed; success".
How do you pronounce 功?
功 is pronounced gōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 功?
The radical of 功 is 力, which carries the idea of "strength". Dictionaries list 功 under this radical.
Is 功 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 功 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Is 功夫 the same as kung fu?
Yes, the English word kung fu comes from 功夫 (gōngfu). In Chinese it can mean martial arts, but it also means skill or the time and effort spent on something, as in 花功夫 (huā gōngfu, to put in effort).
What is the difference between 用功 and 努力?
用功 (yònggōng) usually describes being diligent in study, often about students. 努力 (nǔlì) is broader and means to make an effort in any area, such as work, sports, or life.