吼 meaning and stroke order
To roar; to howl; to shriek
How to write 吼, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 吼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to roar
- to howl
- to shriek
- roar or howl of an animal
- bellow of rage
How 吼 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 孔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吼
吼 combines 口 (mouth), the meaning part, with 孔 (kǒng), the sound part. Picture a mouth opened as wide as a hole (孔) to let out a huge roar.
吼 describes loud, forceful sounds from people or animals, such as a lion's roar or someone yelling in anger. It often appears in words like 吼叫 (hǒujiào) and 怒吼 (nùhǒu). Example: 他生气地吼了一声。(Tā shēngqì de hǒu le yī shēng.) He let out an angry shout.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 子 alone or as 扎, but it is 孔, which has 子 plus a hooked stroke 乚. Also remember the third tone hǒu, not the fourth tone of 后 (hòu).
Common words with 吼
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 怒吼 | nùhǒu | to bellow; to rave | |
| 吼叫 | hǒujiào | to howl; to bellow; to yell |
吼 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吼
How many strokes are in 吼?
吼 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 吼 mean?
吼 (hǒu) means to roar; to howl; to shriek. A common word with it is 怒吼 (nùhǒu), meaning "to bellow; to rave".
How do you pronounce 吼?
吼 is pronounced hǒu, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 吼?
The radical of 吼 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吼 under this radical.
Is 吼 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 吼 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 吼 and 喊 (hǎn)?
喊 is a general word for shouting or calling out, like calling someone's name. 吼 is louder and rougher, often with anger or force, and it is also used for animal roars.
Can 吼 be used to mean scolding someone?
Yes. In everyday speech, 吼 can mean yelling at someone, as in 别吼孩子 (bié hǒu háizi), don't yell at the kid. It suggests raising your voice harshly rather than calmly criticizing.