吭 meaning and stroke order
Throat
How to write 吭, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 吭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- throat
- to utter
How 吭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 亢 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吭
吭 combines 口 (mouth) with 亢 (kàng), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth opening to let out a sound from the throat.
As kēng, 吭 means to make a sound or say something, and it appears mostly in negative phrases like 不吭声 (bù kēngshēng) or 一声不吭. Example: 他一声不吭地走了。(Tā yīshēng-bùkēng de zǒu le.) He left without saying a word.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 吭 with 坑 (kēng, pit), which sounds the same but has 土 (earth) on the left instead of 口. Also remember the reading háng (throat) is rare and literary, so read 吭 as kēng in everyday words.
Common words with 吭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一声不吭 | yīshēng-bùkēng | to not say a word | HSK 7-9 |
吭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吭
How many strokes are in 吭?
吭 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 吭 mean?
吭 (kēng) means throat. A common word with it is 一声不吭 (yīshēng-bùkēng), meaning "to not say a word".
How do you pronounce 吭?
吭 is pronounced kēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 吭?
The radical of 吭 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吭 under this radical.
Is 吭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 吭 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 吭声 mean?
吭声 (kēngshēng) means to make a sound or speak up. It is usually used in the negative, as in 别不吭声 (bié bù kēngshēng), don't just stay silent.
When is 吭 pronounced háng?
It is read háng when it means throat, mostly in literary phrases such as 引吭高歌 (yǐnháng gāogē), to sing loudly with full voice. In daily speech you will almost always hear kēng.